Guls 5/6 rattles New Zealand

Pakistan captain Younis Khan was criticised for comparing the shortest format of the game to a wrestling match.

Pakistan captain Younis Khan was criticised for comparing the shortest format of the game to a wrestling match. The outcome of the first innings against New Zealand at The Oval,though,was not much different. An inspired spell by Umar Gul who picked up the first five-wicket haul in international T20s devastated the Kiwis batting order,bundling them out for 99.

At the time of going to print,Pakistan were 81 for four in 11 overs.

Prior to the game,Younis Khan not really known for his outstanding use of analogies summed the Group F match against New Zealand as a do-or-die game. The team though,to their credit,answered well to the captains call. Fielding Abdul Razzaq,the first former ICL player to successfully return to official cricket,celebrated his return by rocking the Kiwi top-order.

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He struck with his fourth ball and then once again in his third over. This,though,paved the way for the Umar Gul show. Introduced as late as the 13th over,Gul wreaked havoc in his three-over spell. The Kiwis had already lost four wickets by the time he came on to bowl,and they were finally skittled out in 18.3 overs.

Gul first got rid of Scott Styris,who top scored for New Zealand with his 22,and then rolled over the rest of the batting line-up while conceding only a miserly six runs for his five wickets to complete his magic spell.

He accounted for Peter McGlashan (8),Nathan McCullum (7),James Franklin (7) and Kyle Mills (0) in a hurry to complete his tally of wickets. Except for three batsmen,no Black Caps player could manage a double-digit score.

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