PAKvNZ: Tim Southee heaps praise on Sarfaraz Ahmed

Sarfaraz Ahmed's performance in the second and final Test against New Zealand helped Pakistan to a draw in the match and also the series at the National Bank cricket arena. 

Despite efforts by the New Zealand team, Ahmed's century and overall strong performance helped secure the draw for the hosts. 

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New Zealand Test skipper Tim Southee, praised Ahmed's efforts, stating that he took the game away from them. 

"It came down to the last moments, a great end to ten days of pretty tough toil. We got ourselves to push for a win, but the way Sarfaraz played sort of took the game away from us. Funny game, we saw, in the end, it was still up for grabs," the pacer said during the presentation ceremony after the game.

Ahmed, who returned to the national squad after almost three years, ended the match with a total of 355 runs in four innings, averaging 88.75. 

Southee also acknowledged the strong performances of other players, including Sodhi and Michael Bracewell, but emphasized that Ahmed was the key factor in the draw.

"Sodhi's comeback after not playing Tests for a long time, we are thrilled for him. Michael Bracewell keeps developing too. Overall, a pretty tough surface so for the boys to keep asking questions and trying. We knew from the nature of the surface that things could happen late in the Test, Sarfaraz was probably the difference, we could've won had we got them earlier," he said.

It is to be noted that the ODI series between Pakistan and New Zealand will be played at the National Bank cricket arena, from January 09, 2023, till January 13, 2023.