[Watch] Shaheen Afridi cleans up Tim Robinson with beautiful in-swinger in 1st T20I of PAK vs NZ

Babar Azam replaced Shaheen Afridi as T20I captain of Pakistan.

New Zealand are on a tour of Pakistan for a five-match T20I series. This series got underway on April 16 (Thursday), but it didn’t get off to a good start. The highly anticipated clash in Rawalpindi suffered multiple rain breaks before it could get underway and after action of just two balls, the rain came back again, which forced the umpires to call off the game.

Well, it was a disappointment for the crowd, which gathered in good numbers and waited for hours to see some live action. It is the first home series for Pakistan in 2024. This is also the comeback series for Babar Azam as the white-ball captain. He has replaced Shaheen Afridi, who led Pakistan for just one series as the T20I captain.

Watch: Shaheen Afridi cleans up New Zealand debutant in first over

Fans couldn’t watch a full game and there were only two balls bowled. However, Shaheen Afridi still showed why he is rated so highly with the new ball. After a slight rain break, when the toss took place, Kiwi skipper Michael Bracewell decided to bat first. The game started two hours later than the scheduled time and it was reduced to five overs per team.

With the conditions, Shaheen bowled an in-swinging ball, which went for leg byes. But, it didn’t take long for him to take a wicket. On his second ball, he bowled at the right place and the ball moved in from off to hit the stumps. Kiwi opening batter Tim Robinson was on the receiving end of it.

Notably, it was also the comeback game for Mohammed Amir after coming out of retirement. However, he didn’t get to bowl, but is likely to contribute in the second game. Imad Wasim wasn’t picked for the first game, which was a surprise for the fans. New Zealand have sent a second-string team for the tour, as their key players are busy in IPL 2024. The second game will take place on April 20 (Saturday) in Rawalpindi.

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