Published 14:07 IST, February 3rd 2020
'Stupid, immature, foolish': Shoaib Akhtar apologises for blasting New Zealand mid-rant
Shoaib Akhtar lashed out at the New Zealand team after they once again blew it despite being in the driver's seat during the fifth and final T20I
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Shoaib Akhtar lashed out at the New Zealand team after they once again blew it despite being in the driver's seat during the fifth and final T20I at the Bay Oval on Sunday. By the virtue of this loss, the hosts suffered a 0-5 whitewash in the T20I series.
''Wow! It's amazing. In five T20Is, you tied two of them and over here you once again blew it away despite the required rate being less than a run-a-ball. One tie is indeed foolish, but the second tie is literally the height of foolishness. I mean I am really angry to see what brand of cricket they are playing and New Zealand please forgive me'', said a gutted Shoaib Akhtar on his Youtube channel.
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The Rawalpindi Express' then mentioned that it was disheartening to see New Zealand playing foolish cricket. He also added that the overall result would have been 3-2 had the Black Caps shown some maturity and played with a cautious approach.
''It is a stupid brand of cricket that I have seen from New Zealand and they need to be criticized for this as much as possible. They played like kids. In fact, the kids do not play like this. Their middle-order was really immatured and had no thought process whatsoever. You need to score 50 runs with 40 balls in hand but still, you gave up. I really fail to understand what they are doing'', he added.
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India register a clean sweep
India defeated New Zealand by 7 runs to register a rare 5-0 series win away from home on Sunday. Unlike the previous two games, the 'Men in Blue’ won more comfortably at the Bay Oval in the 5th T20I. India’s latest triumph means that New Zealand were handed their first whitewash defeat at home since their 0-2 defeat to England in 2008.
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A distraught New Zealand side got off to a horrendous start in their run-chase, losing 3 wickets for just 17 runs on the board. Playing in his 100th T20I, veteran batsman Ross Taylor anchored the innings with a 47-ball 53 before his departure in the 18th over.
Apart from a single Shivam Dube over which accounted for 34 runs, the ‘Black Caps’ never got going and could only score 156-9 to hand India a 7-run win. This is also their first-ever clean sweep in a T20I series as well. Jasprit Bumrah was adjudged Man of the Match while KL Rahul was named Man of the Series.
14:07 IST, February 3rd 2020