NZ Crippled by Pak

Led by interim T20 captain Shahid Afridi, Pakistan made short work of a severely compromised New Zealand team, first piling up an impressive 160 runs and then using a varied-attack strategy to clinically remove the Kiwis for 112 for 18.3 overs. Pakistan cruised to a 49-run victory in the Cool & Cool Cup's first of two T20 matches against New Zealand, in Dubai, overcoming their ODI loss and defending their superb 20 out 26 record, in number of T20 internationals won and played till date.

New Zealand started the match with the odds strongly against them whatso many key players missing, mostly due to injuries. Their biggest blow was to sit out captain Daniel Vettori, who was ordered to undergo a CT scan after being hit on the grill of his helmet during the second one-day international in Abu Dhabi and showed signs of a concussion later. James Franklin and Kyle Mills were also on the bench, due to injuries. All-rounder Jacob Oram missed out on this match to fly home for the birth of his son. During the match, Aaron Redmond suffered a groin strain while bowling, so could not bat, leavinf the kiwis no choice but to send back out an unfit Franklin to replace him. With barely 12 fit players to choose from to flesh out the team, the Kiwis' chances were slim from the get-go, playing against world T20 champions Pakistan.

Even so, there were reasons to hope things would go NZ's way in chasing the high target of 161, atleast in the beginning. Brendon McCullum who stepped in as captain in Vettori's absence, started off with a smashing 17 runs in the first over itself, bowled by Mohammad Aamer. Aamer came back though, in the next over scalping McCullum for 19 runs, and Ross Taylor(5) in the third over. It was pretty much downhill from there on. Abdul Razzaq (2-9) then dismissed Scot Styris (4) and Neil Broom (14) before Shahid Afridi (2-21) and Saeed Ajmal (2-18) wrapped up the New Zealand's innings.

Earlier, opener Imran Nazir hit five boundaries and four towering sixes off 38 balls before New Zealand, who put Pakistan into bat, hit back by taking the last six wickets in the space of 69 runs. Nazir and Kamran Akmal (13) took Pakistan to 34 as Nazir hit two successive sixes off Ian Butler's fifth over. Nazir added a quickfire 36 with captain Afridi (24), also completing his second Twenty20 half-century off just 34 balls. Paceman Shane Bond had Nazir caught in the outfield in the 12th over to put the brakes on the innings. Abdul Razzaq's 15-ball 26 that included three boundaries and a six, gave Pakistan a final flourish to their innings.

New Zealand must reshuffle their severely compromised player strength the best way they can to take on an upbeat Pakistan once more for the second Twenty20 today, at the same venue.