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Pakistani pace spearhead Shaheen Afridi's captaincy stint has started with a T20I series defeat to New Zealand. The Blackcaps gained an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series following their 41-run win in the third fixture on Wednesday, January 17.
The Men in Green won the toss and elected to field first in the must-win third T20I. Afridi received a lot of backlash for his decision, given that Pakistan had lost the first two games while chasing.
New Zealand registered a mammoth 224-run total, courtesy of opener Finn Allen's whirlwind 137-run knock off just 62 deliveries. Afridi was underwhelming with the ball, bagging a single wicket while conceding 43 runs from his four overs.
In response, Pakistan finished at 179/9 in 20 overs, with Babar Azam being the only saving grace, scoring 58 runs off 37 balls. Following the defeat, several fans took to social media, slamming Afridi for his captaincy.
Here are some of the top reactions:
It is worth mentioning that following the third T20I defeat to New Zealand, Afridi became the first Pakistani captain to lose his first three T20Is as skipper. The visitors will look to salvage some pride by claiming consolation victories in the remaining two games.
"We need to give this team time" - Shaheen Afridi after the T20I series defeat to New Zealand
At the post-match press conference, Shaheen Afridi stated that the call to field first was a collective decision of the team, given that chasing sides have historically performed well at the venue.
He also opined that people should be patient with this Pakistani team if they want them to succeed at the 2024 T20 World Cup.
"This ground's history, both in international and domestic cricket, showed us that chasing is easier here. After consultation as a team, we thought it would be better to bowl first. Unfortunately, we didn't deliver in the powerplay as a bowling unit, and our bowling has collapsed in these three games. However, we need to give this team time if we are to think about the big events ahead," Afridi added.
The upcoming fourth T20I between Pakistan and New Zealand will be played at Hagley Oval in Christchurch on Friday, January 19.
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