CHRISTCHURCH: New Zealand won the toss and decided to bowl first in the fourth T20I clash against Pakistan on Friday. Shaheen Shah Afridi, leading the Green Shirts, opted for a single change in the playing XI for the fourth match, substituting Azam Khan with Sahibzada Farhan. Additionally, New Zealand opener Devon Conway was sidelined just hours before the game due to a positive COVID-19 test.
🚨 T O S S A L E R T 🚨
New Zealand win the toss and opt to bowl first 🏏#NZvPAK | #BackTheBoysInGreen pic.twitter.com/FkAyvM0gUc
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) January 19, 2024
“Conway has been in isolation at the team’s Christchurch hotel after testing positive yesterday,” New Zealand Cricket coach said in a statement. “The player will continue to be monitored ahead of Sunday’s final game against Pakistan.”
Chad Bowes, the Canterbury Kings batsman, will be joining the squad as a replacement for Conway. Additionally, bowling coach Andre Adams has also tested positive for Covid-19, as confirmed by New Zealand coach. Mitch Santner, leads New Zealand in the absence of the injured regular skipper Kane Williamson. In the third T20I, Finn Allen played a phenomenal innings, scoring 137 off 62 balls – the highest individual score by a New Zealand batter in a T20I match. This outstanding performance secured a 45-run victory against Pakistan in Dunedin on Wednesday, clinching the series for New Zealand.
Squads:
Pakistan: Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Shaheen Shah Afridi (c), Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Haris Rauf, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Mohammad Wasim Jr, and Zaman Khan.
New Zealand: Devon Conway (wk), Finn Allen, Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, Ish Sodhi, Matt Henry, Tim Southee, Tim Seifert, Mitchell Santner, Lockie Ferguson, Mark Chapman.
