Shaheen Shah Afridi faced a challenging start as the captain of the Pakistan T20I team during the first T20I at Eden Park in Auckland when Finn Allen of New Zealand dominated him.
After Pakistan chose to field first, Shaheen made an impressive start by taking the wicket of Devon Conway in his first over, conceding only a single run. However, just when it appeared that the speedster was in top form, Allen joined the fray and showcased a powerful batting performance, smashing Afridi all around the park.
In his second over, Shaheen leaked 24 runs as the Black Caps swiftly reached 30 for one within three overs. Attempting a yorker on the first ball, the bowler misjudged his aim, resulting in a half-volley that Allen capitalised on, sending the ball soaring into the stands for a massive six. The 24-year-old smashed 6, 4, 4, 4, 6 against Shaheen Afridi - 24 runs from the over.
Thereafter, Allen skillfully drove Shaheen past mid-off, securing a four. On the following delivery, Shaheen aimed for a full-length ball, but Allen adeptly dispatched it for another four through the fine leg region.
The fourth delivery saw Shaheen delivering a half-volley, which Allen promptly hit through the covers for a boundary. Unyielding, he continued his assault on the Pakistan speedster, smashing him for another six on the fifth ball, tallying 24 runs in that over. Although Shaheen concluded the over with a dot ball, the considerable damage had already been inflicted by then.
Allen accumulated a total of 35 runs from 15 deliveries, featuring three fours and an equal number of sixes. His impressive innings came to an end when debutant Abbas Afridi got his wicket, following a 49-run partnership between Allen and skipper Kane Williamson for the second wicket.
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