The first ODI between Pakistan and New Zealand began in Rawalpindi with Pakistan winning the toss and opting to field first. Due to workload management and the unavailability of some major stars who were participating in the Indian Premier League, both sides fielded second-string XIs. Will Young faced Naseem Shah in the first over of the day/night encounter, and the 20-year-old bowled with discipline, conceding just four runs thanks to a brilliant straight drive from his counterpart. The strike then switched to Chad Bowes against debutant pacer Ihsanullah Khan for the following over.
However, just as the match was about to begin, proceedings were slightly delayed due to a hilarious incident that saw Pakistan Cricket become the talk of the Twitterati once again for all the wrong reasons. The on-field officials, Aleem Dar and Rashid Riaz, both from Pakistan, noticed something strange with the field before Ihsanullah could begin his run-up. They observed that the white circular markers used to demarcate the 30-yard circle seemed too far behind compared to the norm. Upon inspection, their suspicions were proven right.
The incident caused chaos as the off-field officials walked onto the ground alongside the groundsmen to re-measure the 30-yards and place the discs in their correct places. Meanwhile, the players waited around to mend a shambolic flaw in the basic setup of the field. The unprecedented incident occurring on the field left the Twitterati bewildered, with many proclaiming that only Pakistan was capable of pulling off such extraordinary feats.
They really changed the 30-yard circle during the match, that was hilarious! _ #PAKvNZ pic.twitter.com/7bKhKHgLdt
— Farid Khan (@_FaridKhan) April 29, 2023
WTF ____
— abhishek (@iAbhishek79) April 29, 2023
This is why Pakistan is the greatest cricket-playing nation
— Thanos (@Thansome89) April 29, 2023
Pakistan___
— Abhijeet Singh Kushwah (@navodayan_abhi) April 29, 2023
Pakistan __
— Devil__ (@princek8769) April 29, 2023
And they are going to host Asia cup __
— THEREDWINE (@THEREDWINE888) April 29, 2023
Or Pakistan ko Asia cup host karna hai ___
— TROLL PAKISTAN CRICKET (@TrollPakistanii) April 29, 2023
Pindi stadium is a joke ____
— Maverick (@maverickkhan19) April 29, 2023
Areyyy yaa toh pakistan m chal raha hai na ___
— Mohd Abass (@MohdAba07558969) April 29, 2023
I told you–PAK have forgotten how to run Cricket and win at home since 2009!
— Parashu Uniyal (@par_uni) April 29, 2023
The delay caused by the field setup issue did not seem to affect the players’ focus, as they quickly got back into the game once the issue was resolved. The match proved to be a closely fought encounter, with both teams displaying great cricketing skills. In the end, Pakistan emerged victorious by 31 runs, thanks to their disciplined bowling and batting performances. Shadab Khan was the standout player of the match, scoring 42 runs and taking four wickets.
Despite the hilarious field setup incident, the match was a great advertisement for cricket and showcased the talent of the second-string players. The victory for Pakistan was a morale boost for the team, who would be looking to win the next game and take the series. The incident highlighted the importance of attention to detail in organizing cricket matches and the need for proper planning and execution to avoid such mishaps.
