NZ vs PAK: New Zealand win toss, decide to field first in 4th T20I

Against Pakistan’s Shaheen Afridi, Mitchell Santner’s New Zealand side won the toss and elected to field first in Friday’s fourth Twenty20 International match at Hagley Oval in Christchurch. After thrashing the ‘Men in Green’ in the opening three games of the five-match 20-over series, the Kiwis have already won. But the hosts are hoping for a victory so they can sweep the series against the visitors. However, Pakistan is competing for dignity and would be eager to salvage some good memories from this miserable series in New Zealand. The fourth Twenty20 International will not feature Kiwi starter Devon Conway, who tested positive for Covid-19 on Thursday. In his place, Chad Bowes will start at the opening position.

Pakistan captain Afridi stated, “We need the right combination as we prepare for the World Cup,” during the toss. If we had won the toss, we would have batted. Although the outcome is not in our favor, the boys gave it their all. There is much room for improvement, and following this series, we’ll assess our progress. New Zealand Finn Allen, Will Young, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Mitchell Santner (C), Adam Milne, Matt Henry, Tim Southee, and Lockie Ferguson comprise the starting lineup.

Mohammad Rizwan (Wk), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Sahibzada Farhan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Afridi (C), Mohammad Wasim Jr., Haris Rauf, and Zaman Khan comprise the Pakistani playing eleven.