Babar Azam won the toss and asked the tourists to bat first. The decision paid off well as Naseem Shah, who was given the opening over, drew the first blood on the last ball, removing New Zealand opening batter Devon Conway for a golden duck.
Naseem bowled a toe-crushing yorker to the left-handed batter, who tried to flick the ball but missed it completely. The white leather ricocheted off his back leg and went on to hit the stumps.
Here is the video:
Speaking about the contest, New Zealand have managed to post 125 at the loss of four wickets after 27 overs, with Tom Latham batting at 32 off 39 deliveries. Apart from Naseem, debutant Usama, Mohammad Wasim Jr and Mohammad Nawaz have all taken one wicket each.
Earlier, while announcing the ODI squad, the newly-appointed interim chief selector of the Pakistan men’s team and former cricketer Shahid Afridi had termed Usama as a very good bowler and claimed the Sialkot-born could bat as well.
“I had a word with Shadab. He told me that he can play all 3 ODIs. I told him no. I advised him to bowl a few overs in the morning before sharing an update on his situation. Usama Mir is a very good bowler and fielder; he can hit big shots too,” Afrid had said in a presser.
For latest cricket news & updates, visit CricketTimes.com.