Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan has pointed to ineffective bowling in the final overs as the key reason for his team’s defeat against New Zealand in the opening match of the ICC Champions Trophy.
Speaking after the match, Rizwan admitted that New Zealand posted a bigger total than expected. “We didn’t anticipate them reaching 320. When we took early wickets, we thought we could restrict them to around 260. However, the partnership between Will Young and Tom Latham proved crucial. We tried our best, but they played intelligently and capitalized on their opportunities,” he said.
Rizwan also highlighted that the pitch was not easy for batting initially, but Young and Latham’s innings played a decisive role. “Our execution in the final overs was not up to the mark, which allowed them to post a big total,” he added.
Addressing Fakhar Zaman’s injury, Rizwan stated, “We will wait for the scan results. Losing Fakhar as an opener was a big setback for us. We lost momentum twice—first in the death overs while bowling and then during the powerplay while batting.”
He emphasized that the team is not putting pressure on itself despite being the defending champions. “This match is over, and we will treat the next one like any other game,” Rizwan concluded.
