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Powered by a solid unbeaten 97-run knock from Tim Siefert and a sensational five-wicket haul by James Neesham, New Zealand team emphatically sealed the T20I series against Pakistan with a decisive nine-wicket win in the fifth and final match held at the Sky Stadium in Wellington on March 26.
Despite the series loss, Pakistan's captain Salman Ali Agha isn't bothered about team's crushing series loss, in fact he went on to heap praise on New Zealand for their superior performance throughout. However, he pointed out encouraging performances such as Hasan Nawaz and Mohammad Haris' batting display in Auckland and Sufiyan Muqeem's bowling efforts. Looking ahead, Salman Ali Agha stressed the team's primary focus on the upcoming Asia Cup 2025 and T20 World Cup 2026. While expressing disappointment with the T20I series outcome, he voiced confidence that the ODI squad, possessing greater experience and prior exposure to New Zealand conditions, would present a different challenge.
"They were outstanding. They outplayed us in the whole series. There were plenty of positives though. The way Hasan batted and Haris batted in Auckland. The way Sufiyan bowled today. When we were coming in here, the focus was on the Asia Cup and the World Cup. I did alright. It doesn't matter when you lose the series. Completely different teams in the ODIs. More experience. They have played in NZ before. It will be a different ball game." Salman Agha said, as quoted by Cricbuzz.
Sufiyan Muqeem stood out as Pakistan's most economical bowler, grabbing two wickets while conceding mere six runs in his two-over spell. Apart from him, the rest of the Pakistani bowling attack struggled to contain the aggressive Kiwi batters. This helped New Zealand sign off the five-match T20 series against Pakistan with a 4-1 scoreline.
Tim Seifert played a blistering knock of 97 runs, which came off in just 37 balls, including ten towering sixes and six boundaries, at an incredible strike rate of 255. On the bowling front for New Zealand, James Neesham was the standout performer, taking five crucial wickets while giving away only 22 runs in his four overs. For his exceptional five-wicket haul, Neesham was deservedly named the Player of the Match.
Tim Seifert's consistent brilliance with the bat throughout the series earned him the Player of the Series award. Over the five matches, Siefert amassed a total of 249 runs, with his magnificent 97 in the final T20I being his highest score.
New Zealand and Pakistan will now lock horns with each other in a three-match ODI series which is scheduled to start from March 29.
