Pakistan stood victorious in the final T20I against the Kiwis with a 42-run victory but were humbled throughout the five-match series.
Pakistan's captain, Shaheen Shah Afridi, has provided a crucial update, stating that the Men in Green have finalized a pool of 16 to 20 players for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024, following the conclusion of the five-match series against New Zealand. While Pakistan emerged victorious in the final T20I against the Kiwis with a 42-run win, the series overall posed challenges for the team.
The experienced off-spin performance by Iftikhar Ahmed, especially on a slower track, stood out. Shaheen expressed gratitude for the crowd's fantastic support and acknowledged the team's planning to provide opportunities to young players during the series.
'Ifti (Iftikhar) is a very experienced player, and he's always ready for bowling, but we wanted to give everyone a proper chance, so we were planning to give chances to youngsters this series. We sorted out 16-20 players (for the World Cup). I want to thank everyone; the crowd was fantastic,' said Shaheen after the game.
The seasoned off-break spinner, Iftikhar, received the Player of the Match award for his pivotal spell of 3-24. Reflecting on his successful outing, he shared, 'I read the wicket and bowled accordingly; the wicket was turning, so I tried to bowl wicket by wicket. Yes, it was decided that I will bowl today; Shaheen told me before the game, and I was preparing for it. If the captain wants, I am available to bowl, as I have done before as well'.
In the match, after winning the toss and posting a total of 134/8, Pakistan staged a comeback with a clinical bowling performance. The team played strategically on a slower surface, with Zaman Khan and Nawaz providing an ideal start in the powerplay by dismissing Rachin Ravindra (1) and Finn Allen (22).
Facing the pressure of an increasing gap between runs and balls, Kiwi batters attempted an aggressive approach but continued to lose wickets at regular intervals. With two wickets in hand, Glenn Phillips (26) tried to resist on his own, scoring a four and then a maximum to keep NZ in the chase. However, skipper Shaheen Afridi's pace ultimately got the better of Phillips and then Lockie Ferguson, helping Pakistan avoid a whitewash.
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 "'We sorted out': Shaheen Afridi's significant update on Pakistan's T20 World Cup squad")
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