Pakistan Falls Short by 60 Runs Against New Zealand in ICC Champions Trophy Opening Match

Karachi:New Zealand outclassed host Pakistan by 60 runs in the opening match of the ICC Champions Trophy. In the match played at Karachi, Pakistan’s captain Mohammad Rizwan won the toss and invited the visiting team to bat.

New Zealand set a formidable target of 321 runs, finishing with 320/5 in their 50 overs. Will Young scored a brilliant 107 runs, while Tom Latham remained unbeaten on 118 runs.

In response, Pakistan faltered and was bowled out for 260 runs in 48 overs. The match saw a surprising change in the batting order as aggressive opener Fakhar Zaman did not open the innings. Saud Shakeel replaced him alongside Babar Azam.

The reason for Fakhar’s absence was an injury sustained while fielding during New Zealand’s innings. Fakhar had to leave the field twice for treatment but returned to field later. However, due to the ICC rules, if a player is off the field for more than eight minutes during play, he must wait for an equal amount of time before returning to bat or bowl. Since Fakhar spent over 20 minutes off the field during New Zealand’s innings, he had to wait for the same duration before coming to bat, which led to him coming in at number four.

Despite his efforts, Fakhar seemed to still be in pain and was dismissed for 24 runs off 41 balls.

Pakistan’s team management is now awaiting Fakhar Zaman’s medical reports, as he has been complaining of a chest strain. Once the reports are received, further decisions regarding his participation in the next match will be made.

Pakistan’s next match is scheduled against India on February 23, 2025, in Dubai.