MOUNT MAUNGANUI: While defending his decision to bowl first in all the matches of the ODI series against New Zealand, Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan on Saturday admitted the senior batters of the team needed to improve in order to finish games.
Chasing 265 in a 42-overs-a-side third ODI due to rain in Mount Maunganui, Pakistan had got off to a good start with Babar notching a half-century. However, the tourists were unable to close the game with wickets falling in quick succession as Kiwi pacers took control to give their team a well-deserved 3-0 series sweep.
“We definitely need to bring some improvement in that department, there are no excuses there,” Rizwan told reporters in the post-match media conference while responding to a question regarding senior batters not being able to complete chases.
“Our ability to finish games is lagging, which is why I think we’re not able to produce results. But there are a lot of things around it that we need to take into account.”
The 30-year-old Babar, widely considered as the main pillar of Pakistan’s batting, managed to score 129 runs in the three ODIs against New Zealand, Rizwan collected just 72 while opener Imam-ul-Haq made only three in the second ODI and got retired hurt after making one run in Mount Maunganui.
The ODI series whitewash marked the end of a disappointing white-ball tour for Pakistan that also saw a 4-1 loss in the T20 International series.
Saturday’s loss was Pakistan’s sixth consecutive defeat to New Zealand in ODIs all of which were held in 2025. The ongoing year has remained quite dreadful so far for the Green-shirts who have managed to claim only one ODI win in nine games while losing seven. One match was abandoned.
Answering a question, the skipper welcomed criticism, if required results were not coming.
“Surely, criticism [from media] is a [due] right, particularly if the [desired] results are not being produced [by the team],” Rizwan said.
“Even the captain can be criticised. On my part, whenever I feel I have made a mistake I always accept it.”
A particular shortcoming in the ODI series, Rizwan pinpointed, was the inability to make the most of the new ball in seam-friendly conditions after winning the toss and opting to bowl first on all three occasions.
“I think if you ask any team in the world what they would do on a wet, green pitch after winning the toss on a New Zealand morning before the winters here, they’d say the same,” he insisted.
