On March 16, 2025, a young and reshuffled Pakistan side stepped onto the Hagley Oval in Christchurch, facing a battle-hardened New Zealand squad fresh off an ICC Champions Trophy final appearance.
Pakistan’s decision to drop senior players Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and Naseem Shah in favor of two untested openers and an out-of-form Shadab Khan was seen as a daring experiment. That gamble, however, quickly unraveled.
A Nightmare Start in Christchurch
The Hagley Oval, notorious for its sharp bounce and pace, exposed Pakistan’s raw top order. Young Haris faced six deliveries from the towering Kyle Jamieson, failing to connect with five and edging the sixth to the keeper. Hassan Nawaz followed in the next over, slicing Duffy to third man. The tone for the series was set.
Only three Pakistani batters managed double figures as the team folded for a meager 91. In response, New Zealand chased down the target in 10.1 overs, dismantling Pakistan’s ‘fearless’ narrative in under 50 minutes.
The second T20I brought more despair. A slightly better total of 135—thanks to Agha Salman, Shadab, and Shaheen Afridi—was again made to look insignificant. Seifert’s brutal assault, including four sixes off Shaheen in a single over, underscored the gulf in skill and confidence. New Zealand sealed the win with 11 balls to spare.
A Spark at Eden Park
Amid the gloom, a miracle emerged in the third T20I at Eden Park. After New Zealand piled on 205 runs, thanks to Chapman’s 94 and steady contributions from the rest, Pakistan looked destined for another thrashing.
Then came a stunning counterattack. Haris and Nawaz—under pressure for replacing Babar and Rizwan—turned the tide. In an electrifying powerplay, the pair smashed 75 runs—the highest ever by Pakistan in a T20I. Hassan Nawaz went on to register a 44-ball century, the fastest by a Pakistani in T20Is. Agha Salman chipped in with a composed fifty as Pakistan chased down the target with four overs to spare.
The cricketing world was stunned. Was this a turning point? Had Pakistan finally cracked the code to playing on New Zealand soil?
Reality Bites Back
The fairytale didn’t last. In the fourth T20I, Pakistan was bowled out for 105 and crushed by 115 runs. In the series finale, their 128-run total was chased down in just 10 overs with eight wickets in hand.
The statistical disparity was brutal:
- Pakistan’s powerplay across the series: 194 runs at 5.54 RPO, 15 wickets lost
- New Zealand’s powerplay: 348 runs at 9.84 RPO, only 5 wickets lost
Babar and Rizwan had been dropped for their conservative starts, yet their replacements produced Pakistan’s slowest-ever powerplay: 14/4 in the first match.
Pakistan’s batters failed to adjust to the pace and bounce of Kiwi pitches, and their bowlers—both seamers and spinners—lacked the bite to contain a rampant New Zealand lineup.
ODI Series: From Bad to Worse
After the T20I series defeat, pressure mounted. Critics had been calling for Babar and Rizwan’s return. Both were retained for the ODIs, with Babar moving back to No. 3 after a failed Champions Trophy experiment as an opener.
But the inclusion of senior players couldn’t stop the whitewash. New Zealand claimed the ODI series 3-0 with dominant performances.
1st ODI: Missed Chances
New Zealand posted 344. Pakistan fielded only four frontline bowlers, allowing Chapman to hammer 132 off 111. Agha Salman and Irfan Niazi were taken for 118 runs in 10 overs. Extras cost another 43 runs.
In response, Pakistan’s top order started well. Babar looked fluent, and Agha Salman struck a brisk 58. But chasing 96 off 68, Babar fell—and the collapse began. The last seven wickets added just 22 runs.
2nd ODI: Promising Start, Same Ending
At Hamilton, Pakistan held the upper hand early on. But an unbeaten 99 from Hay pushed New Zealand to 292. Pakistan’s top five fell for just 32. Faheem Ashraf and Naseem Shah added some resistance, but the chase ended well short.
3rd ODI: A Damp Finish
Rain shortened the final game to 42 overs. New Zealand posted 264, with Mariu and Bracewell scoring fifties. Pakistan’s chase lacked urgency. Once Babar was dismissed in the 24th over, another collapse followed. The team was bowled out for 221.
Ben Sears starred with back-to-back five-wicket hauls in the last two games. Pakistan’s positives were limited—Sufyan Muqeem and Akif Javed bowled economically, Faheem Ashraf impressed with a half-century, and Agha Salman offered glimpses of form. But Rizwan’s tally of 72 runs across three matches, poor technique to face bounce on offer in New Zealand, and a misfiring middle order raised serious concerns.
Deepening Crisis
The ODI whitewash has raised deeper questions—not just about selection and form, but also leadership, planning, and the fundamental skills required to compete with top-tier teams.
With just 3 wins out of 16 international matches in 2025, it is clear that Pakistan cricket is in crisis. The road to redemption looks long, and unless the team confronts its structural issues head-on, more heartbreak awaits.
