Shaheen Afridi speaks out after back-to-back losses against New Zealand

Pakistan fell 21 runs short while chasing 195 against New Zealand at Seddon Park, Hamilton in the second T20I of the five-match series. On the back of an outstanding half-century by Finn Allen, New Zealand posted 194 for the loss of eight wickets in the first innings. 

In return, Pakistan were bowled out for 173 courtesy of a solid performance by the home side’s bowling attack.

In a post-match conference following the Men in Green's second consecutive defeat in the T20I series, team captain Shaheen Afridi has expressed his disappointment and shared insights into the team's performance.

“Bowling first you can look for swing and look for wickets early. Unfortunately, we missed out on that today. If we would have taken 1 or 2 wickets then their score would have been 170 - 180. We didn't start the way we want."  Shaheen Afridi said. 

Despite the early struggles, the left-arm pacer acknowledged the team's resilience and pointed out the positive aspects of the bowling performance in the latter part of the innings. 

“Our bowlers bowled well after 10 overs. We struggled in first 10 overs but the way Haris and Nawaz bowled was really good and Usama Mir bowled really well." Afridi added. 

The third T20I encounter between the two teams is scheduled to take place at Dunedin on Wednesday, January 17, 2024.