“Kiwis Could Have Restricted Pakistan To A Lower Score”, Says Michael Bracewell After Dominant 9-Wicket Win

March 16, 2025: New Zealand (NZ) dominated the first T20I against Pakistan (PAK), bundling the visitors out for just 91 runs in 18.4 overs and chasing down the target in just 10.1 overs, with only one wicket lost. Following the comprehensive nine-wicket victory, NZ captain Michael Bracewell and Player of the Match Kyle Jamieson shared their thoughts on the game in the post-match presentation.

Bracewell expressed his admiration for the crowd and praised the performance of his pacers, particularly Kyle Jamieson, who was ready to bowl a fourth over in the early stages. Reflecting on the match, Bracewell admitted that they could have restricted Pakistan to an even lower total had they bowled Jamieson out earlier.

“It was a great day in front of a great crowd. We have played against them domestically (on the pacers), to have them in the same team, it was super difficult for them (Pakistan) and they couldn’t recover. Had to hold Kyle back for the 4th over, he was ready and at the top of his mark, it was difficult to keep them off the attack. Maybe we could have restricted them to a lesser score if I had bowled him earlier, but it’s always a challenge to rotate the bowlers around, especially in shorter formats like the T20s,” Bracewell explained.

Kyle Jamieson, who was outstanding with the ball, also shared his thoughts on the match. Returning to his home soil, Jamieson felt the conditions were favorable for him and his teammates, especially during the powerplay, when he and Jacob Duffy put the pressure on Pakistan’s batting lineup.

“It was nice to be back on home soil, favorable conditions, myself and Duff, we’ll take these conditions and it was nice to cash in. I guess we plan for some carnage (in T20Is), for some balls to go out of the ground, nice to get these conditions, needed to keep the seam upright, it made our job easy and was a clinical team performance. We’ve got a good crop of players, great depth, and players who can exploit the conditions; it was a nice team win,” Jamieson said.

Jamieson also lauded his bowling partner Jacob Duffy, who played a crucial role in the opening overs, as well as Zakary Foulkes for their excellent contributions.

The Kiwis’ win was set up by fiery spells from pacers Jamieson (3/8) and Duffy (4/14), with Pakistan’s new-look side, under captain Salman Agha, struggling to get going. The team featured three debutants—Hasan Nawaz, Abdul Samad, and Mohammed Ali—who were all dismissed for single digits.

With this win, New Zealand leads the five-match T20I series 1-0, and they will look to build on their dominant performance in the second match.