ABU DHABI: New Zealand scored 266-9 in the first day-night international against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.
Shaheen Afridi removed both the openers in the first powerplay and just when a partnership was building Kane Williamson fell to Shadab’s half-tracker. Post that, there was a big 130-run stand between Ross Taylor (80) and Tom Latham (68).
Shadab took 4 wickets for 38 while Shaheen Shah Afridi finished with 4-46.
Earlier, New Zealand won the toss and opted to bat against Pakistan in the first one-day international at Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.
Kiwi captain Kane Williamson after winning the toss said that his team will try to put a good score on the board. “We will try to put pressure on Pakistan with a good total,” he said.
“It´s important to break that losing streak and we need to bring improvement in our performance in one-day internationals,” said Sarfraz on Tuesday.
“If you look at our losses most of them were in New Zealand where conditions were different and we lost due to top order failure where we need to improve,” said Sarfraz.
Pakistan lost the last two matches in a 3-2 series defeat in United Arab Emirates (UAE) in 2014, before losing 2-0 in 2015, 2-0 in 2016 and 5-0 in January 2018 — all in New Zealand.
Earlier, Pakistan crushed New Zealand 3-0 in the preceding Twenty20 series on Sunday — their second whitewash in a week following a romp over Australia, also in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Playing XI
Pakistan: Sarfraz Ahmed (c), Fakhar Zaman, Imam ul-Haq, Babar Azam, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Shadab Khan, Imad Wasim, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Junaid Khan
New Zealand: Kane Williamson (c),George Worker, Colin Munro, Ross Taylor, Tom Latham, Henry Nicholls, Colin de Grandhomme, Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, Lockie Ferguson, Trent Boult
