Sarfaraz pins blame on batsmen

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Pakistan skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed has attributed his team’s 5-0 ODI series loss to New Zealand to poor batting.

There was a familiar feel to the fifth of those losses as yet another batting collapse cost Pakistan a shot at a consolation victory.

The lower order would rally brilliantly but end up 15 runs short of the Black Caps total with Haris Sohail’s 63 the only contribution of note from the recognized batsmen.

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Speaking after their defeat in Wellington Sarfaraz said: “New Zealand are a very good team, they played well throughout the series. The main thing was batting, that’s why we lost the series.”

Eager to take some positives from what has been an appalling effort from the team that won the Champions Trophy last year Sarfaraz praised his bowlers.

And indeed a fifty from Shadab Khan has shown that he is more than just a great leg spinning prospect while other so-called tailenders held their own for some time.

He added: “We back our team. And there are some positive things. The lower order played very well today, Fahim, Aamer Yamin, Nawaz.

“The bowling unit were very good. Sometimes we had opportunities but we didn’t grab them.”

Pakistan will now shift focus to the shortest format of the game and an opportunity to reclaim the number one ranking in T20Is that they briefly held last year.

New Zealand and Pakistan meet in the first of three T20Is on Monday 22 January.

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