Hamilton: Pakistan’s stand-in captain Shadab Khan has expressed his disappointment on the batsmen who gave away wickets in the crucial overs of powerplay. The 22-year-old said in a video released by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) after Green Shirts lost the second T20I against New Zealand by nine wickets at Seddon Park. “We repeated the same mistakes and lost both matches in powerplay overs,” Shadab said. “If you lose three wickets in the first six overs, 80% of the match is in the favor of the opposition,” he added. Shadab did not use the absence of their regular skipper Babar Azam’s absence as an excuse for losing the series and thinks cricket is a team game. “Babar is our main player in the batting unit but it’s not an excuse. This is not a game of individuals, so you need to perform as a team,” he added. Shadab appreciated Mohammad Hafeez’s knock of unbeaten 99 and labeled the innings as a ‘learning opportunity’ for youngsters to play in these types of conditions. Note, Blackcaps have an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series over Pakistan. The final T20I will be played at McLean Park, Napier on Tuesday. – Sports Desk
