RAWALPINDI: Heavy rain delayed the start of the first Twenty20 international (T20I) between Pakistan and New Zealand after the Kiwis won the toss and opted to bat against host Pakistan at the Pindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi on Thursday.
Following the toss, won by New Zealand’s captain Michael Bracewell who elected to bat first, the teams were poised to take the field when the downpour intervened, compelling umpires Ahsan Raza and Aleem Dar to call for a temporary halt.
The toss itself was subject to a delay of 30 minutes due to inclement weather conditions. The match was poised to mark the return of Pakistani fast bowler Mohammad Amir to international cricket after an absence of nearly four years. Amir, who reversed his retirement decision last month, was eager to make his comeback but will have to wait for the rain to relent before stepping onto the field.
Pakistan had awarded T20I caps to Usman Khan, Abrar Ahmed, and Muhammad Irfan Khan to infuse new talent into the squad. Meanwhile, New Zealand’s Tim Robinson was set to make his T20I debut.
The remainder of the T20I series is scheduled to take place in Rawalpindi on April 20 and 21, with the concluding matches set for Lahore on April 25 and 27.
Pakistan Squad
Pakistan – Babar Azam (c), Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Amir, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usama Mir, Usman Khan and Zaman Khan.
New Zealand Squad
Michael Bracewell (c), Mark Chapman, Josh Clarkson, Jacob Duffy, Dean Foxcroft, Ben Lister, James Neesham, Tim Robinson, Ben Sears, Tim Seifert (wk), Ish Sodhi
The Black Caps would face Pakistan mostly with fresh faces being led by Michael Bracewell as most of the players are busy in the Indian Premier League including Kim Williamson, Mitchel March, Furgeson etc. However, still it would be an interesting series and a solid preparation ahead of the T20 World Cup to be played in the USA and West Indies in June this year.
