Kane Williamson, New Zealand captain, called his country’s pull-out of the Pakistan tour last month “unfortunate”, confirming that it was beyond the players’ control.
After the T20I World Cup fixture between New Zealand and Pakistan in Sharjah on Tuesday, the tour withdrawal questions came to Blackcaps skipper Kane Williamson thick and fast at the post-match press conference. The Kiwi skipper was dignity personified.
Against New Zealand, Pakistan pacer Haris Rauf began the game with a 149 kph yorker that literally took Martin Guptill out of the game. He survived that ball but didn’t field in the second innings. Three of Haris Rauf’s four wickets came through slower deliveries.
It was a sign of his evolution and an understanding of the conditions in Sharjah. Pakistan has played 13 T20Is in the UAE since 2016 and won all games. Haris Rauf led a clinical bowling display with an excellent four-wicket haul to restrict Kiwis to below-par 134/8.
“That was obviously a very unfortunate, disappointing situation for Pakistani cricket fans and the cricketers, a decision that was outside of the players’ control. But all the guys were there looking forward to that series to start, and unfortunately, it didn’t happen. So it was very disappointing for all involved,” the Blackcaps skipper said.
Kane Williamson was asked if the Pakistan team and their fans were aggressive towards New Zealand. The skipper hailed their opponents for showing the right spirit.
“No, they played in the right spirit, I believe, and a great spirit. They’re a very competitive, proud cricketing nation, and they showed that tonight. They’ve been outstanding in the first couple of games of this tournament. I’m sure they’ll be very, very competitive throughout the back end as well. Their hopes are high, no doubt.”
Most of the Pakistan top-order batters, except for opener Mohammad Rizwan (33), struggled but the experienced Shoaib Malik (26 not out off 20 balls) and number seven Asif Ali (27 not out off 12) flourished towards the end with a 48-run partnership for the sixth wicket to take Pakistan home with eight balls to spare.
Kane Williamson: It Was A Shame To Pull Out From The Limited Overs Series In Pakistan Tour
The next question reporters asked was whether Kane Williamson would like to play in the Pakistan Super League and his message to Pakistani people. Kane Williamson didn’t show any signs of impatience.
“The Pakistan league is a brilliant league. Sometimes that clashes, I think, with some of our cricket back home. So that’s always a tough one, but as an international player, often you do look at these other opportunities when the timing is right, and they’re always fantastic experiences,” he said, adding: “I’ve heard a lot of really good things from other players that have played over there as well. Yeah, it’s, I suppose, something to consider in the future.”
About the disappointment faced by the Pakistani cricketer fans, he said: “… it was very, very disappointing for not only Pakistan players and fans, but also the players that were there that were very enthusiastic about playing in the series. It was a real shame to not have that series go ahead and be played in front of what are some of the most passionate cricket supporters in the world and a very proud cricketing nation. So that was a real shame.”
Following the New Zealand and England tour cancellation, Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ramiz Raja had hit out at New Zealand Cricket, threatening to take the matter before the ICC and urging his players to play their T20 World Cup game against the Kiwis with added intensity. On the field, however, there wasn’t any carry-over of the board-level acrimony.
This was Pakistan’s second consecutive win after their comprehensive 10-wicket victory over India on Sunday. The New Zealand team, playing in its first match, had recently withdrawn from a scheduled series against Pakistan after landing there, citing a security threat that did not exist according to the host country.
Brief Scores: Pakistan 135 for 5 (Rizwan 33, Asif 27*, Sodhi 2-29) beat New Zealand 134 for 8 (Mitchell 27, Rauf 4-22) by five wickets