Pakistan’s star player, Babar Azam, had a humorous interaction with a fan who requested a selfie while he was fielding near the boundary during the second T20I against New Zealand in Hamilton on January 14.
A video posted by an Instagram user provided a glimpse of the situation, where a fan requested Babar Azam for a selfie while he was fielding near the boundary ropes. Babar, in response, explained to the fan that he couldn’t take the picture as the match was still in progress. The renowned cricketer recommended the fan take a selfie on his own if he wished, then refocus on the game.
You can watch the video here:
Despite Babar Azam’s 66 runs, Pakistan suffered a 21-run defeat in the second T20I against New Zealand
Opting to bat after losing the toss, New Zealand posted a respectable total of 194/8 in 20 overs. Finn Allen was the standout performer with 74 runs, supported by contributions from Kane Williamson (26), Mitchell Santner (25), and Devon Conway (20).
Haris Rauf excelled with the ball for Pakistan, claiming three wickets. In response, Pakistan faced early trouble at 10/2 in 1.3 overs. Fakhar Zaman’s aggressive half-century, scoring 50 runs in 24 balls, played a crucial role in bringing his team back into the contest after a challenging start.
Babar Azam provided solid support with a composed half-century, scoring 66 runs in 43 balls. Nevertheless, Fakhar Zaman’s dismissal in the 10th over provided New Zealand with a crucial breakthrough.
Capitalizing on this, their bowlers built pressure on the Pakistani batsmen, resulting in their dismissal for 173 in 19.3 overs. After the match, New Zealand’s stand-in captain, Tim Southee, shared his thoughts on the victory during the post-match presentation.
“It was a good surface, the way Finn Allen and the guys at the top set it up was pretty nice. Pakistan put up a fight nicely and the two innings were quite similar in a way. Milne was outstanding, Sears is a young guy and is showing a lot of character at this level. At Eden Park, wickets kept flowing in both innings. The guys at the top did really well for us with the bat.”
Babar Azam is set to return to the field on Wednesday, January 17, for the third T20I in the series against New Zealand at the University Oval in Dunedin.
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