Williamson fires on return as New Zealand beat Pakistan in World Cup warm-up match

Published September 29, 2023
New Zealand’s Kane Williamson in a World Cup warm-up match against Pakistan in Hyderabad, India on Friday. — Picture via BlackCaps/X
New Zealand’s Kane Williamson in a World Cup warm-up match against Pakistan in Hyderabad, India on Friday. — Picture via BlackCaps/X

Rachin Ravindra and returning Kane Williamson played key knocks as New Zealand chased down 345 to thrash Pakistan by five wickets in a World Cup warm-up match on Friday.

Chasing 346 for victory, New Zealand lost an early wicket before Ravindra (97) and Williamson (54) put on 137 to put their team on course and they achieved the target with 6.2 overs to spare in Hyderabad.

Mohammed Rizwan hit 103 and Babar Azam made 80 in Pakistan’s 345-5 after electing to bat first but the Kiwi batsmen made the total look easy against an attack missing pace spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi.

Williamson, who returned from a six-month lay-off due to his knee injury and played the match only as a batsman, looked impressive in his 50-ball stay before he retired out.

“It held up pretty good,” Williamson, who will miss the tournament opener against England on October 5, said about his knee after the win.

“Little bit of icing after that (knock). But that’s part of the process.

Fortunate with that recovery and being named in the squad was exciting to me.“ Ravindra smashed the opposition bowlers to all parts of the ground as he hit 16 fours and one six but was denied a century by Agha Salman.

Pakistan spinner Usama Mir struck twice in the space of his two overs but Daryl Mitchell made 59 to keep the chase on track.

Left-hand batsmen Mark Chapman, who hit the winning six in his unbeaten 65, and James Neesham, who made 33, put on a partnership of 68 as New Zealand reached the target in 43.4 overs.

Earlier Azam hit eight fours and two sixes before he fell to Mitchell Santner but Rizwan stayed on to complete his century in another key stand with Saud Shakeel, who made 75.

Rizwan struck nine fours and two sixes in his 94-ball innings and said: A “hundred is hundred in any conditions. I feel proud and satisfied.”

The match, which along with other warm-ups was not an official one-day match, was played in an empty stadium due to a Hindu festival and security issues in Hyderabad.

Pakistan’s 15-member squad for the mega tournament was announced last week by Cricket Chief Selector Inzamamul Haq. It notably includes bowler Hasan Ali, and excludes star pacer Naseem Shah, who was injured in the Asia Cup.

Other notable exclusions are bowlers Faheem Ashraf, who was part of the Asia Cup squad, and Mohammad Hasnain.

Squad: Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imamul Haq, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, (wicketkeeper) Mohammad Wasim, Agha Salman, Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usama Mir

Reserves: Mohammad Haris, Abrar Ahmed, Zaman Khan

Opinion

Editorial

Electable politics
Updated 04 Dec, 2023

Electable politics

With the PTI still on the wrong side of the political equation, the prospects will be bright for whoever takes the lead.
War of narratives
04 Dec, 2023

War of narratives

MILITARILY, there is no match between the Israeli war machine, and the defenceless people of Gaza. On one side is a...
Returns on deposits
04 Dec, 2023

Returns on deposits

DESPITE the deceleration of deposit mobilisation, bank deposits have jumped to a record high of Rs25.6tr in FY23. ...
Promises, promises
Updated 03 Dec, 2023

Promises, promises

The climate crisis transcends national borders and political agendas, demanding a unified, decisive response.
PCB’s strange decision
03 Dec, 2023

PCB’s strange decision

THE Pakistan Cricket Board’s decision-making and the way it is being run has become a joke. A day after appointing...
Resettling Afghans
03 Dec, 2023

Resettling Afghans

FOR two years now, since the Afghan Taliban took Kabul, thousands of Afghans in Pakistan who had worked for Western...