Rizwan blames poor bowling in death overs for loss against NZ in CT opener

Poor execution in final overs led to a high score, says Pakistan skipper after 60-run defeat in opening match of CT.

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Pakistan's captain Muhammad Rizwan expressed his disappointment and attributed the team's 60-run defeat to New Zealand in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 opener on Wednesday to poor bowling in the death overs.

Rizwan credited New Zealand’s Will Young and Tom Latham for their crucial partnership, which helped set a challenging target of 321 runs for the hosts.

"We didn’t expect them to reach 320. After taking early wickets, we thought around 260 would be a fair target," he said. "The Young-Latham partnership was key. We tried to respond, but they played very smartly, which allowed them to reach that total."

Rizwan acknowledged the difficulties of the pitch, noting that it wasn’t easy to bat early on, but pointed out that the partnership between Young and Latham proved vital for New Zealand’s success. "Our execution in the final overs wasn’t good, and that’s why they managed to get to such a high score," he added.

The Pakistan captain also addressed the loss of opener Fakhar Zaman, who was injured and did not return to the crease, calling it a crucial blow.

"Losing Fakhar early was key. We didn’t want to put pressure on ourselves by thinking about being defending champions. This match is gone, and we’ll focus on the next one," he concluded.

New Zealand’s Mitchell Santner echoed Rizwan's sentiments, crediting the Young-Latham partnership for setting the platform, but also highlighting the importance of their early bowling efforts.

"I thought Pakistan bowled well, even through the middle stages, but Young and Latham rotated the strike and picked up boundaries at crucial times. We were thinking 260-280, but having wickets in hand allowed us to push beyond that," he said.

Santner also praised New Zealand's opening bowlers for their outstanding performance in the first 10 overs.

"Our new-ball bowlers set the tone, and the way they attacked the length was crucial. We were able to build pressure, chip away at wickets, and, of course, Glenn's catch and the dismissal of Rizwan were game-changing moments."

He concluded by acknowledging the conditions, noting that the lack of dew and the wind allowed the bowlers to adjust. "The ground fielding was outstanding, and we were able to squeeze the new batsmen. It was a great team effort."

The win has set New Zealand off on a positive note in the tournament, while Pakistan looks to regroup ahead of their next match against India in Dubai on Sunday.