New Zealand's another easy win against Pakistan in the second T20I of the five-match series on Tuesday, beating them by six wickets in a rain-shortened game. Pakistan scored 135/9 in 15 overs, but New Zealand chased it down without trouble. Just like in the first match, Pakistan's bowlers couldn’t handle the pressure, and even their top pacer, Shaheen Afridi, was conceded 26 runs in an over by New Zealand's batters.

Shaheen Afridi had tough times against New Zealand, giving away 31 runs in his three overs, with 26 coming in just one over. New Zealand wicketkeeper-batter Tim Seifert went after him, smashing four sixes, with a 119-meter six hit at the University Oval in Dunedin.

TIM SEIFERT SMASHING 4 SIXES IN AN OVER AGAINST SHAHEEN AFRIDI. 🥶pic.twitter.com/Q4jcTTW9Ar

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) March 18, 2025

Pakistan gave a better fight in the second T20I compared to the first match. Captain Salman Agha admitted the improvement during the post-match presentation. With the series now at 0-2, Pakistan can’t afford another loss. The skipper has urged the top order to step up in the powerplay if they want to bounce back in the next match in the series.

Shaheen Afridi keeps improving his position inside Dinda Academy- pic.twitter.com/Y63EnBbemz

— Dinda Academy (@academy_dinda) March 18, 2025

ALSO READ: IPL Captains Meet To Be Held On 20th March At BCCI Headquarters

“It was freezing out there. But this game was much better than the last one. We batted well, our fielding was great, and our bowling was decent in parts. We need to adjust to the bounce better. After the powerplay, we bowled well, and Haris was impressive. But we have to do better in the powerplay, both in batting and bowling,” he said.

The Hundred Tournament is a new format of the game that occurs in England and Wales which was introduced by ECB in 2021 to increase the fast pace of the game. It's a format where each team faces 100 balls per innings irrespective of the wickets. The tournament consists of eight teams and the matches were back-to-back conducted on the same grounds. The interesting thing about it is the tickets you bought are applicable for both men's and women's matches. 

The eight teams that compete in the tournament are Birmingham Phoenix, London Spirit, Manchester Originals, Northern Superchargers, Southern Brave, Trent Rockets, Welsh Fire, and London Superchargers. It has some unique confrontation of the game and the salaries offered are double which attracts more and more players which designates the other three formats of the game. 

Read more: Gambhir To Travel England With India Team A

Format And Its Former Winners

During the Hundred format each teams plays eight matches at their group stages seperating four away and four home matches. The top 3 highest points considered teams moves to the knockout stage where the final commences at the Lord's Ground which is considered as the mecca of cricket. Last year in 2024 Oval invincibles claimed the title which was considered as mega blockbuster show and was considered as frontline entertainment stride. 

In this year's 100 tournament, many players have drafted their names. As the salary offered is double that the other leagues expect the IPL and the window gates won't too clash as the tournament commences in August where players get ample time, but it's not easy to be drafted into this league which consists of heavy competition where players are picked more carefully and the players who have the reputation of hitting big hits and constrain along with the game are only picked. 

Read more: I am suprised By This Player Form Says Mohammad Kaif

Pakistan Players Were Not Preferred In Draft

Its been reported that total 45 Pakistani players registered for the tournament but none of them were selected which was the center talk of the highlights. Players like Naseem Shah, Shadab khan, Imad Wasim and Saheen Shah Afridi registered their names but intrestingly none of them were picked. It has created a wide spread debate why Pakistan players have been neglected from the drafts. 

Even though some of the overseas slots were remaining empty. Yet the reason behind this decision has not yet been disclosed which leads to speculation about potential factors influencing team selections. Though New Zealand and Australian players gained huge contracts where former Australian captain Steve Smith was picked by Welsh Fire. Another point of negligence would be the performance of the players because the drafts are picked according to the current forms too. 

The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 is about to start, and the match today is a thrilling encounter between Pakistan and New Zealand. The match will be played at the National Stadium in Karachi and is all set to begin at 2:30 PM IST (Indian Standard Time). Cricket enthusiasts around the globe are waiting for the live match to be viewed through different TV channels and online streaming websites.

• Match : NZ VS PAK
• Date: February 19th, 2025
• Time:  2:30 PM IST
• Venue: Karachi

LIVE STREAMING DETAILS

ALSO READ: PAK vs NZ Today Match Prediction – Who Will Win? | Match 01, ICC Champions Trophy 2025 Preview & Analysis

NEW ZEALAND

Rachin Ravindra/ Will Young, Devon Conway, Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham, Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner, Nathan Smith, Will O Rourke, Matt Henry

PAKISTAN

Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Agha, Tayyab Tahir, Khusdil Shah, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, Abrar Ahmed 

The highly anticipated final between Pakistan and New Zealand is finally here! Fans from all over the world are eagerly anticipating which team will raise the trophy. All you need to know about the match, live streaming information, top players, and a summary of their previous match is below.

Match Details:

• Match: Pakistan vs New Zeland, Final
• Date: February 14, 2025
• Venue: National Stadium, Karachi
• Time:
  1. Pakistan: 2:00 PM PST
  2. India: 2:30 PM IST
  3. South Africa: 11:30 AM SAST

LIVE STREAMING

TV Broadcast

• India: Sony Sports Network
• Pakistan: PTV Sports
• South Africa: SuperSport

Online:

• SonyLIV App & Website (India)
• PTV Sports Website & App (Pakistan)
• SuperSport Live Stream (South Africa)
• FanCode App & Website (Available in multiple countries)

ALSO READ:PAK vs NZ Final Match, Match Prediction- Who Will Win Today?

Key performers:

Pakistan:

Babar Azam – Pakistan’s captain and top-order batsman, known for his consistent performances.

Shaheen Afridi – A world-class fast bowler who can take early wickets.

Mohammad Rizwan – A dependable wicketkeeper-batsman who can anchor the innings.

New Zealand:

Kane Williamson – A match-winner with experience in handling pressure

Devon Conway – A strong top-order batsman who can provide a solid start

SQUADS:

Pakistan: Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan(w/c), Salman Agha, Tayyab Tahir, Khushdil Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Abrar Ahmed, Kamran Ghulam, Faheem Ashraf, Haris Rauf, Akif Javed, Usman Khan

New Zealand: Will Young, Devon Conway, Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham(w), Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner(c), Matt Henry, Ben Sears, William ORourke, Rachin Ravindra, Mark Chapman, Nathan Smith, Lockie Ferguson

ICC has  fined on the three players for an ICC Code of Conduct during their tri-nation series match against South Africa in Karachi on Wednesday.

Shaheen Shah Afridi, Saud Shakeel and Kamran Ghulam have been penalised in their match against South Africa in Tri-Nation Series .

🚨 THREE PAKISTAN PLAYERS FINED 🚨

- Shaheen Shah Afridi, Saud Shakeel and Kamran Ghulam has been fined for their behaviour in the match against South Africa. pic.twitter.com/28QVzbGyou

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) February 13, 2025

Reason for their penalty :

Shaheen Shah Afridi reason :

Shaheen Shah Afridi was fined 25 per cent of his match fee on Article 2.12 of the Code, which pertains to "inappropriate physical contact with a Player, Player Support Personnel, Umpire, Match Referee or any other person during an International Match."The incident occurred in the 28th over of South Africa’s innings when Shaheen obstructed batter Matthew Breetzke as he ran a single, resulting in physical contact and a heated exchange words between the two players.

ALSO SEE :  Rajat Patidar's reaction after becoming captain.

Saud Shakeel and Kamran Ghulam reason for Penalty :

Saud Shakeel and substitute fielder Kamran Ghulam were fined 10 percent of their match fees for celebrating too closely to batter Temba Bavuma following his run-out in the 29th over. Both players fined on Article 2.5 of the Code, which relates to "using language, actions or gestures which disparage or which could provoke an aggressive reaction from a batter upon his/her dismissal during an International Match."

In addition to the financial penalties, all three players have received one demerit point each on their disciplinary records. None of the players had any  offences in the last 24 months.

The ICC said that,"All three players received one demerit point each on their disciplinary records, and accepted the sanctions".

Pakistan recorded its highest ever successful one-day international run chase of 355-4 and will play New Zealand on Friday in the final, it will be a warmup for the Champions Trophy.

Pakistan vs South Africa third One Day International (ODI) will be played on today, February 12, 2025. The game will take place in the National Stadium, Karachi today and starts at 2:30 PM IST (Pakistan Time); ongoing tri-nation series.
This match will be very crucial, as both teams have to play finals of tri-nation series against Neew Zealand.

Match Details:

• Match: Pakistan vs South Africa, 3rd ODI
• Date: February 12, 2025
• Venue: National Stadium, Karachi
• Time:
  1. Pakistan: 2:00 PM PST
  2. India: 2:30 PM IST
  3. South Africa: 11:30 AM SAST

LIVE STREAMING

TV Broadcast

• India: Sony Sports Network
• Pakistan: PTV Sports
• South Africa: SuperSport

Online:

• SonyLIV App & Website (India)
• PTV Sports Website & App (Pakistan)
• SuperSport Live Stream (South Africa)
• FanCode App & Website (Available in multiple countries)

Recent performances:

• Pakistan lost to New Zealand by 78 runs.
• South Africa lost to New Zealand by six wickets.

Notable to watch

Fakhar Zaman – Scored 84 runs in the last match.
Shaheen Afridi – Took 3 wickets against New Zealand.
Babar Azam – Pakistan’s captain, known for his consistency.
South Africa
Matthew Breetzke – Scored a record 150 runs on his ODI debut!
Wiaan Mulder – Played a solid knock of 60 runs.
Tabraiz Shamsi – A key bowler who can trouble Pakistan’s batters.

ALSO READ:PAK vs SA 3rd Match, Match Prediction- Who Will Win Today?

Before the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 challenge, Pakistan left-arm fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi got a huge blow as he set an unwanted ODI record for Pakistan.

Pakistan are getting ready for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, which will be the country’s first ICC tournament hosting since the ICC Cricket World Cup 1996. Before the beginning of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, Pakistan are preparing for the tournament with an ODI tri-series, where New Zealand and South Africa are also participating.

Pakistan are playing against New Zealand in the ODI tri-series opener at Lahore on Saturday (February 8). After New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner chose to bat first. With the help of Glenn Phillips’ smashing century (106 not out off 74 balls; six fours and seven sixes) and Kane Williamson (58 off 89 balls; seven fours) and Daryl Mitchell’s (81 off 84 balls; two fours and four sixes) controlled batting guided the Blackcaps to a total of 330/6 in 50 overs.  

See Also: "Yes, He Struggled in Australia, But He’ll Bounce Back": Kotak Supports Rohit Sharma During Tough Phase

Shaheen Shah Afridi took three wickets but conceded 88 runs

Pakistan left-arm fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi bagged three wickets in that innings, but he was the most expensive bowler for his team. He had bowling figures of 10-0-88-3, while the left-arm fast bowler conceded 25 runs in the final over of the innings. With the bowling figures, Afridi recorded the most expensive ODI bowling figures by a Pakistan bowler in Pakistan. He broke the previous record of Sohail Tanvir (10-0-87-1), which the left-arm pacer recorded against India in the 2008 Karachi ODI. 

Pakistan bowlers with the most expensive ODI bowling figures in Pakistan

On the other hand, Shaheen Shah Afridi also found himself in the joint fifth place for most runs conceded by an Asian bowler in home ODIs. 

Asian bowlers with the most runs conceding in home ODIs

Pakistan fast bowler Shaheen Afridi has reportedly played one of the matches gives a duck to the captain Babar Azam.The warm-up match for the tri-nation ICC champions Trophy 2025
This happened in the first over of the game. Afridi was a fast bowler and so accurate that his ball went straight through Babar Azam's defense and straight to the stumps. So, this victory on the initial day excited all the cricket fans and proved what level Shaheen was performing at before all these big games.

A video of this dismissal soon went viral on social media as fans reacted. Some people commended Shaheen for his match-winning bowling, while others were to see the star man Babar Azam getting dismissed without scoring a single run.This practice match became an important activity in Pakistan's training, sharpening its players before hard international teams faced them. This early dismissal was unexpected for Babar Azam, but again, it spoke of the brilliance of Shaheen Afridi in troubling the best batsmen.

Shaheen Afridi dismissed Babar Azam for duck in the practice match.pic.twitter.com/JfeZ7CTjZr

— 𝙎𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙞 (@CallMeSheri1) February 4, 2025

The Pakistani team will next play in the tri-nation series with teams like New Zealand and South Africa. Cricket fans are filled with eagerness to see how Babar Azam and his teammates will do against these strong competitors.

ALSO READ:IND vs ENG : Players to watch in ODI Series

ICC Champions Trophy 2025 squad of Pakistan: Full Squad confirmed
Pakistan ICC Champions Trophy 2025 squad with all names released, carrying the old and new
The squad is aiming to improve on the positives, showcasing a pack of run-getters in attack and all-rounder versatile as well with a strong quicks bowling attack

Full Squad 

• Mohammad Rizwan (Captain) : The wicketkeeper-batsman brings stability and consistency, both with the bat and behind the stumps.
• Babar Azam: A top-order batter, known for his calm and composed performances, he will be key to Pakistan's success.
• Fakhar Zaman: The explosive opener who has previously played a crucial role in Pakistan's victory in the 2017 Champions Trophy final.
• Faheem Ashraf: All-rounder, a crucial player with the ball and bat, offering balance to the team.
• Khushdil Shah: A hard-hitting middle-order batsman, known for his ability to finish games.
• Salman Ali Agha: A versatile all-rounder who can play important roles both with the bat and the ball.
• Usman Khan: A quick bowler with the ability to be a potent game-changer through his pace and his ability to pick wickets.
  
• Leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed: Most crucial for middle overs, especially when it comes to spinning conditions.
  
• Haris Rauf: The quickest of the bowlers and crucial in the powerplay/dead of the night both overs for crucial wickets.
  
• Hasnain Mohammad: A young gun with a pace to burn, always likes to get his powder going.
  
• Naseem Shah: Pakistan's upcoming prodigy with a lit bit of everything so has the chance to get a breakthrough in all conditions.
  
• Shaheen Shah Afridi: another of the best left-arm paces in world cricket his all-around ability to bowl fast and accurately will be key.
  
• Kamran Ghulam: Talented lower-order batsman adding some more quality technique to the middle order.
  
• Saud Shaheen Shakeel: The other middle-order batsman of quality and with the potential to anchor middle overs.
  
• Tayyab Tahir: More stitch in the batting department to give the team some more options.

ICC Champions Trophy 2️⃣0️⃣1️⃣7️⃣ winners announce squad for the 2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣5️⃣ event 🏆✨

How will you show your support for the Pakistan team❓#ChampionsTrophy | #WeHaveWeWill pic.twitter.com/zDYPFuqzBU

— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) January 31, 2025

Pakistan squad: Mohammad Rizwan (c), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir, Faheem Ashraf, Khushdil Shah, Salman Ali Agha, Usman Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi.

ALSO READ:India Dominates England to Reach ICC Women’s U-19 T20 World Cup Final

ICC Men's ODI Team of the Year 2024 Announced: No Place for Indian, Australian, or England Players

The ICC just released the Men's ODI Team of the Year for 2024, and none of the major names from India, Australia, South Africa, or England have any players in it. Instead, the team's filled with four players from Sri Lanka, three from Pakistan, and a couple from Afghanistan which is of major importance because it shows how these countries are stepping up their cricket game in the Modern Cricket.

Pakistan's Saim Ayub and Rahmanullah Gurbaz from Afghanistan are the openers. Ayub has scored an impressive 515 runs in just nine matches, and Gurbaz isn't far behind with 531 runs. Additionally, there is Sri Lanka's Pathum Nissanka taking the No. 3 spot with his amazing 694 runs in 12 matches, followed by Sri Lanka's captain, Charith Asalanka, and Kusal Mendis, who both have impressive scores too.

ALSO READ: Khaleel Ahmad fifer stops the Karun Nair show on their ongoing Ranji Match

Presenting the ICC Men’s ODI Team of the Year 2024 featuring the finest players from around the world 👏 pic.twitter.com/ic4BSXlXCc

— ICC (@ICC) January 24, 2025

Adding to the lineup, West Indies' Sharfane Rutherford made the chance  because of his very powerful batting, achieving up 429 runs. The all rounder slot goes to Azmatullah Omarzai from Afghanistan , he's been amazing with both bat and ball. As for the bowlers, Wanindu Hasaranga from Sri Lanka is leading the spin department with his 26 wickets, and he's joined by Afghanistan's young spinner Allah Ghazanfar. Then you have the fast bowlers, Pakistan's Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf, who have been unfathomably effective in taking wickets. But there is a fact that we can take it as a sure thing that the inclusion of players, mainly from Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, sends a clear message cricket is changing.

This year, the ICC picked its ODI Team of the Year and it really showed how Asian teams are taking over the 50 over game. Major players such as Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Jasprit Bumrah from India, and stars from usually strong teams like Australia and England weren't chosen. This is a major change in cricket. People who love cricket and those who study the game are going to watch how these players do next year. They're also watching to see if Asian teams stay ahead in ODI cricket.