'Cricket team with the so called greats' - Fans react as Pakistan lose to New Zealand by 4 runs in 3rd T20I

Pakistan and New Zealand locked horns in the third of the five-match T20I series at the Gadaffi Stadium in Lahore on Monday, the 17^th of April. The visitors’ skipper Tom Latham won the toss and decided to bat first at the batting paradise of Gadaffi Stadium. Batting first, New Zealand managed to post 163 runs for the loss of five wickets.

While chasing the target, the hosts couldn’t cross the finishing line and lost the match; the men in green faced the first defeat in the ongoing series against the Kiwis. Subsequently, cricket fans also took to Twitter to come up with a lot of different reactions and responses to Pakistan’s defeat against New Zealand.

Here’s how fans reacted:

#PAKvNZ So a full strength #pakistan national cricket team with the so called greats like #BabarAzam𓃵 & #ShaheenShahAfridi lost to a below par #NewZealand team at home. Any comments @DanielAlexander.

— Indian (@crazyindian1947) April 18, 2023

60 runs off 24 balls for Iftikhar Ahmed. Take a bow 🔥🔥 #PAKvNZ pic.twitter.com/wxFhjSY0Eh

— Farid Khan (@_FaridKhan) April 17, 2023

Can we please start respecting Iftikhar Ahmed, giving him a sense of surety? Sending Shahdab, Imad & Shaheen Afridi ahead of him is defying all logic. #PAKvNZ

— Umar Farooq Kalson (@kalson) April 17, 2023

Unfortunately we lost but he won our hearts iftikhar chacha What a game it was #IftiMania #PAKvNZ #chacha @aghatahir4 pic.twitter.com/9KaPk9cyjb

— Businesstimesnews (@Businesstimes33) April 18, 2023

NZ ki school team ne bhi thok diya kal tumhare lumber 1 world kilaaas 150+ walo ko. 😂🤣🤣 @TheRealPCB @babarazam258 @IftiAhmed221 @iNaseemShah @iShaheenAfridi @SAfridiOfficial @_FaridKhan @HarisRauf14 #PAKvNZ #CSKvRCB

— Monika (@helloaajaaj) April 18, 2023

Exceptional bowling performances by Haris Rauf 🔥

Will 𝙍𝙖𝙪𝙛𝙩𝙖𝙖𝙧 be able to continue his dominance over New Zealand❓ ⚡️#HarisRauf #PAKvNZ #CricketTwitter pic.twitter.com/LpYV3vIQPE

— CricWick (@CricWick) April 18, 2023

"pta h hum match kahan haare" moment found. 😂😂@Rizzvi73 #PAKvNZ

— Monika (@helloaajaaj) April 18, 2023

Shahid Afridi tweet ✨#IftikharAhmed #PAKvNZ ❤️ pic.twitter.com/2MKqcwuvy9

— Shoaib Ahmed (@ShoaibAhme65129) April 18, 2023

Speaking of the action of the match, skipper Tom Latham played a knock of 64 runs off 49 balls with seven boundaries and two sixes to his name. Other than him, Daryl Mitchell also scored 33 runs off 26 balls with two boundaries and a six on his credit. On the back of these knocks, the Kiwis posted a total of 163 runs for the loss of five wickets in the allotted 20 overs.

Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf scalped two wickets each alongside one wicket by Shadab Khan.

Later on, while chasing the target, it was the lower middle order batter Iftikhar Ahmed who smashed a swashbuckling knock of 60 runs off just 24 balls with three boundaries and six sixes to his name. But none of the batters could live up to the expectations for Pakistan other than Iftikhar Ahmed and it was only Faheem Ashraf who crossed the individual mark of 20+ runs to contribute with 27 runs off 14 balls with two fours and two sixes with the wood.

Eventually, the Blackcaps won the match by a very close margin of 4 runs after bundling Pakistan on the total score of 159 runs in 20 overs.