"NZ School team beat Pak Army Trained team" - Twitter trolls Pakistan for losing 3rd T20I against a second-string New Zealand side

Fans on Twitter (X) trolled the Pakistan men's cricket team for losing the third T20I against a second-string New Zealand side on Sunday, April 21, at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

Pakistan managed to put 178 runs on the board after New Zealand skipper Michael Bracewell opted to bowl first on winning the toss. Shadab Khan top scored for the hosts with a 20-ball 41-run cameo towards the end of their innings, which included four fours and two sixes at a strike rate of 205.

While captain Babar Azam smashed 37 runs off 29 balls, Mohammad Rizwan, who became the fastest player to reach 3,000 T20I runs during the second T20I against the Kiwis, retired hurt while batting on 22 off 21 balls. Saim Ayub and Irfan Khan chipped in with useful contributions with the bat for Pakistan to help them set up a challenging target for New Zealand.

Chasing 179 runs to level the series 1-1, the Black Caps added 42 runs in 4.5 overs during the first wicket partnership.

Mark Chapman's unbeaten knock of 87* off just 42 balls, which comprised nine fours and four sixes at an astonishing strike rate of 207.14, ensured a comfortable seven wicket victory for New Zealand with ten balls to spare. The southpaw was adjudged Player of the Match for his exploits with the bat.

Here's a look at some noteworthy reactions on Twitter following Pakistan's defeat in Rawalpindi on Sunday:

"NZ School team beat Pak Army Trained team, " one fan wrote.

"BREAKING NEWS FROM SOUTHLAND, NEW ZEALAND," commented another fan.

"Mark Chapman said "We didn’t do any military level training … we just finished our school exams and now came here to play on our summer break. Boys are having some fun," wrote a fan.

Here are some more reactions:

Full strength Pakistan side hammered by a third string New Zealand team. Nothing short of embarrassing," one fan boldly proclaimed.

"No Williamson, No Boult, No Conway, No Southee, No Ferguson, No Henry, No Mitchell, No Phillips, No Rachin, No Santner Then also, New Zealand defeated Pakistan in the 3rd T20I & level the series 1-1," another fan commente.

"How unpredictable is our Team seriously yesterday they defeated newzealand by 7 wickets in the 11th over and lost them by 7 wickets," another fan vented.

An important series for the Babar Azam-led Pakistan ahead of the 2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup

While the series opener was washed out due to rain, Babar Azam's men won the second match to take a 1-0 lead in the five match series. With New Zealand's win on Sunday evening, the series is now level at 1-1.

The remaining two fixtures will be played at the iconic Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Thursday, April 25 and Saturday, April 27. With the 2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup fast approaching, this series assumes greater significance for Pakistan.

This is the first assignment for Babar Azam after being reappointed as the white ball captain recently. This is also the comeback series for experienced campaigners Mohammad Amir and Imad Wasim.

The Men in Green's performance against New Zealand will be key in their preparation for the showpiece event which is to be held in June.