Rawalpindi: Naseem Shah’s performance in the first ODI against New Zealand at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium was nothing short of exceptional.
Naseem now holds the world record of most wickets after first six ODIs. He has picked 20 wickets in first six ODIs, surpassing Matt Henry’s record of 19 wickets in six ODIs.
Despite the batting-friendly pitch, which saw most bowlers struggling to contain the Kiwi batsmen, Naseem managed to concede just 29 runs in his 10 overs and picked up two crucial wickets.
Naseem’s control and accuracy were on full display as he bowled with pace and precision, making it difficult for the New Zealand batsmen to score runs freely. He maintained a tight line and length throughout his spell, keeping the batsmen guessing and forcing them to take risks.
One of the highlights of Naseem’s spell was his ability to extract movement from the pitch. He bowled with a beautiful seam position, making the ball swing both ways, which proved to be too good for the Kiwi batsmen. He also varied his pace and length, bowling a mix of short and full deliveries, which made it difficult for the batsmen to settle down.
Naseem Shah was on point in his first spell 👏
Unlucky to not get a wicket #PAKvNZ pic.twitter.com/23HObzHyaL
— Cricket Pakistan (@cricketpakcompk) April 27, 2023
Naseem failed to pick a wicket in his first spell despite bowling brilliantly. However, he was rewarded in the final over, when he removed Rachin Ravindra on his second last delivery of the spell. Naseem’s second wicket was equally impressive, as he clean bowled Adam Milne with a beautiful yorker on the last ball of New Zealand’s innings.
Naseem’s performance was all the more remarkable considering the fact that most other bowlers struggled on the pitch. He was the only bowler to concede less than 30 runs in the match barring Agha Salman (2 overs), and his economy rate of 2.90 was the best among all bowlers. His performance was instrumental in restricting New Zealand to 288-7, who were at one point looking set to score above 300 plus runs.
