RAWALPINDI: New Zealand have been a thorn in Pakistan’s ambitions of late, so it was only fitting that they should be the side to pull the plug on the green shirts’ hopes at the Champions Trophy.
A sizeable crowd had gathered at the Pindi Cricket Stadium on Monday, and the disappointment of Pakistan’s loss to India the previous night was still palpable.
Bangladesh held the key to Pakistan’s slim chances of progressing and, naturally, were being cheered on by the fans: every hit to the fence being met with rapturous applause, that is, until the crowd fell silent when they ended their innings with just 236-9 on the board.
But once Taskin Ahmed shattered the stumps of Will Young — the New Zealand opener who had flayed Pakistan with a century in the tournament opener — the crowd was alive again, Bangladesh flags fluttering in the air.
The roars got louder when Kane Williamson nicked Nahid Rana to the keeper. With New Zealand at 15-2, Pakistan were still alive, breathing — albeit with the assistance of a proverbial ventilator.
Then came Rachin Ravindra and snuffed out any flickering Pakistan hopes. A day after Pakistan mourned their loss to India, a man with Indian roots twisted the knife into their tournament hopes.
It was a sterling century, even though there was a loud gasp when he got an extra life after being dropped at 93.
He was dropped again after he completed his fourth ODI ton, but by the time he was dismissed for 112 off 105, with 12 boundaries and a six, the game was pretty much finished.
Ravindra was nursing a concussion that forced him to sit out the opener: he suffered a head injury while attempting a catch during the tri-nations series that preceded the Champions Trophy, where New Zealand had burst Pakistan’s bubble by beating them in the final.
Pakistan had gone into the tri-series on the back of ODI series wins in Australia and South Africa. There were elaborate celebrations at the inaugurations of the newly-renovated Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore and Karachi’s National Bank Stadium, amid the optimism that the team would elevate its levels further when the Champions Trophy came along.
New Zealand punctured that by winning in both Lahore and Karachi during the tri-series. More misery was to follow when they thrashed Pakistan by 60 runs in the Champions Trophy opener.
Ravindra smiled when he was asked about New Zealand’s role as party-poopers for Pakistan. “Obviously we have been lucky enough to play some good cricket and play the way we like to play and get ourselves into winning positions,” he said at the post-match news conference.
With Pakistan out, Ravindra was hoping his team would now emerge as the crowd favourites for the rest of the tournament. “The crowd’s been pretty good to us,” he said. “It’s just great to have a good crowd every time we play cricket and it definitely elevates the atmosphere of each game.”
New Zealand’s focus now shifts to the match-up against India in Dubai with both teams having reached the semi-finals from Group ‘A’ at the expense of Pakistan and Bangladesh.
“I guess from our point of view, we tried to play the best cricket as we can and obviously turn up for the games,” said New Zealand batter Tom Latham, when asked whether Pakistan’s exit from the tournament will bring down the excitement for the tournament locally.
“We managed to do that whoever it is against. I guess from our point of view, that’s been our focus and we’re quite satisfied.”
Regardless of the result against India, New Zealand will play the semi-final in Lahore. Their mastery of the conditions on offer in Pakistan, spinner Michael Bracewell — who took 4-28 against Bangladesh — feels will help them.
“We’ve spent a bit of time here over the last couple of years so we know the conditions here,” Bracewell told reporters. “It’s been an enjoyable place to play and we’re looking forward to the semi-final.”
Pakistan has become a favourite hunting ground for New Zealand. It hasn’t been the same for the home team, which seems to be finding conditions at home rather alien for their liking.
Despite the fact that Pakistan weren’t playing on Monday, some fans kept waving the national flag in a section of the Shoaib Akhtar stand. There will be more when Pakistan take on Bangladesh in their inconsequential last group game on Thursday.
Pakistan have nothing but pride to play for but Bangladesh vowed there will be no letdown.
“We will try to win [the last game],” Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hussain Shanto said at a news conference. “That’s what we always try to do. [Today] we were very happy with the support we got from the crowd, I hope they support us again [on Thursday].”
Published in Dawn, February 25th, 2025
