For the longest time middle-order has been considered Pakistan&rsquo;s weakest link in the shortest format, and when the Men in Green lost their top three inside the first 12 overs in the tri-series final against New Zealand on Friday, the general consensus was that a familiar story was about to unfold. The story of Pakistan crumbling yet again in a contest in which their top three failed to step up.&nbsp;However, on the night, the general narrative flipped as against all odds, the middle-order powered Pakistan to victory. A Pakistan victory looked highly unlikely when <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/57935/mohammad-nawaz/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mohammad Nawaz</a> and <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/72229/haider-ali/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Haider Ali</a> got together, with the visitors still needing 91 off 51 balls, but in what was an onslaught for the ages, the pair (Nawaz 38* off 22, Haider 31 off 15) astonishingly added 56 off just 4.2 overs.&nbsp;The partnership brought the target within striking distance, post which a fine cameo from <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/24437/iftikhar-ahmed/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Iftikhar Ahmed</a> (25* off 14) ensured Pakistan got over the line.&nbsp;Friday&rsquo;s knock was the second match-winning cameo in as many matches for Nawaz, who struck an unbeaten 20-ball 45 against Bangladesh on Thursday, and in the aftermath of the game, the all-rounder was rightly showered with praise by skipper<a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/59429/babar-azam/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> Babar Azam</a>, who hailed his showings &lsquo;outstanding&rsquo;.&ldquo;Batters were great, especially the middle order who did their job. The way Nawaz and Haider are playing, outstanding. That&#39;s what you want the middle order to do - step up,&rdquo; Babar said in the presentation.Babar also credited the bowlers for once again showing immense discipline, particularly at the death. At 130/3 after 15 overs the Kiwis were well set-up for a 180+ total, but excellent bowling from the trio of Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah and Mohammad Wasim Jr restricted the Black Caps to just 163.&ldquo;The way our team played deserves all the credit. The bowlers were brilliant at the death,&rdquo; the Pakistan skipper said.The victory ensures Pakistan will enter the T20 World Cup with their confidence and morale high. Babar hoped for his side to carry forward the momentum into the mega event.&ldquo;Before the big event, we have good confidence as a team and we hope to carry the momentum forward.&rdquo;Pakistan have warm-up encounters against England (October 17) and Afghanistan (October 19) before their first game of the World Cup, against India at the MCG on Sunday, October 23.&nbsp;Powered by <a href="https://www.froala.com/wysiwyg-editor?pb=1" title="Froala Editor">Froala Editor</a>

For the second game running, Nawaz powered Pakistan to victory through incredible hitting

Babar Azam

Mohammad Nawaz

Bangladesh and Pakistan tour of New Zealand, 2022

Pakistan

New Zealand

Babar Azam hails ‘outstanding’ Nawaz in aftermath of tri-series win

New Zealand vs Pakistan, Final, T20I Tri-series - Live Blog

As it happened - Haider, Nawaz, Rauf help Pakistan win the tri-series final

Pakistan vs Bangladesh, Match 6, T20I Tri-series - Live Blog

As it happened - Nawaz's stunning cameo keeps Bangladesh winless

New Zealand top-order batter Devon Conway has jumped into the top five on the latest T20I Batter Rankings while India&#39;s Suryakumar Yadav remained second in the list behind Pakistan opener Mohammad Rizwan.&nbsp;Conway has scored 219 runs from four innings in the ongoing T20I tri-series against Bangladesh and Pakistan helping New Zealand reach the final. The left-hander made an unbeaten 70 against Bangladesh and another unbeaten 49 against Pakistan to leapfrog Aaron Finch and Dawid Malan in the rankings.Meanwhile, England quicks Mark Wood and Reece Topley were the big movers in the Bowling Rankings with the latter finishing just outside the top 10 by jumping three places to reach career-best rating points of 646.Wood impressed with nine wickets from three matches against Pakistan and Australia after returning from injury and moved 14 places to reach 18th. Meanwhile, Topley took two wickets in the Perth T20I and is England&#39;s leading wicket-taker in T20Is this year.Jos Buttler and Alex Hales too gained big points after a 132-run opening stand in the T20I in Perth. Buttler jumped up four places to No.22 while Alex Hales moved into the top 100.Despite leading India to a 2-1 ODI series win over South Africa, Shikhar Dhawan dropped six places to 17th in the ODI batting rankings. Shreyas Iyer, who scored 191 runs from the three ODIs against South Africa, moved three places to 33rd. Sanju Samson, who scored 118 runs in the series, moved to 93rd.Kuldeep Yadav&#39;s six wickets from the series saw him gain five places to 25th in the bowling rankings. Jasprit Bumrah kept his 10th place and is the only Indian the top-10 led by New Zealand&#39;s Trent Boult.Powered by <a href="https://www.froala.com/wysiwyg-editor?pb=1" title="Froala Editor">Froala Editor</a>

New Zealand's Devon Conway entered the top five following his performances in the ongoing tri-series against Pakistan and Bangladesh

Suryakumar Yadav

Devon Conway

Mark Wood

Tim David

India

Suryakumar keeps No.2 ranking among T20I batters

Pakistan will take on Bangladesh in the sixth encounter of the T20 tri-series, also involving New Zealand, at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch on Thursday (October 12). Bangladesh have lost all their three matches so far, meaning Pakistan will come face to face against New Zealand in the final. The Men in Green started the series with back-to-back wins but were hammered by the hosts in their last game and would be eager to return back to the winning ways.Ground details<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1665560989498-articleimg" style="width: 700px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">The Hagley Oval in Christchurch is hosting this entire series and the batters here have scored runs at an average of 27.6 and a strike rate of 131.5, while a wicket has fallen every 21 deliveries in these five games so far. The fast bowlers here have better numbers, with them operating at an average of 25.5 and a strike rate of 19.2 in this series. Meanwhile, the corresponding numbers for spinners are 29.7 and 24.4 respectively. &nbsp;Suggested team<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1665560963577-articleimg" style="width: 700px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">While you could go for the above team, you can also choose your team from <a href="https://www.cricket.com/fantasy-research-center/213896/ban-vs-pak-match-6-bangladesh-and-pakistan-tour-of-new-zealand-2022" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Cricket.com&rsquo;s Fantasy Research Centre</a>. You can use this tool to build your team with the help of algorithms. Then, based on your preferences, the platform will guide you through creating the ideal fantasy XI.Captaincy suggestionsFor small leagues: Mohammad Rizwan (c), Babar Azam (vc)For grand leagues: Shakib Al Hasan (c), Shadab Khan (vc)Stats that matter<a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/20286/mohammad-rizwan/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mohammad Rizwan</a> has only managed 20 runs in the last two encounters but still averages 55.23 in 16 T20Is this year. The wicketkeeper-batter has 718 runs at a strike rate of 127.1 and has eight fifties to his name.&nbsp;Pakistan captain <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/59429/babar-azam/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Babar Azam</a> hasn&#39;t really been as consistent as he would have liked but still has 541 runs in 17 innings at an average of 38.64 in 2022. The right-hander has scores of 22, 79* and 21 in this series. That&#39;s what they say, if Rizwan doesn&#39;t get you, Babar will.With 21 wickets in 15 T20Is, no other Pakistan bowler has picked up more wickets than Haris Rauf in 2022.Litton Das has constantly been getting starts in T20Is this year but is yet to get that big score. In six of his last nine T20I innings, the right-hander has crossed the 20-run mark but only has one fifty to his name.Grand League punts<a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/65739/shadab-khan/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Shadab Khan</a> has started batting at No. 4 for Pakistan. The right-hander got out for just 8 in the last encounter but had slammed 34 off 22 in the previous game. In 2022, Shadab has 517 runs in 26 T20 innings at a strike rate of 148.1. On top of that, the legspinner has also claimed 42 wickets a strike rate of 17.2.Bangladesh skipper <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/3782/shakib-al-hasan/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Shakib Al Hasan</a> slammed 70 off 44 deliveries against New Zealand on Wednesday and is the only Bangladesh batter to cross the 50-run mark in this series. He is someone who could fetch you points in all facets of the game.Probable XIsPakistan - Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Babar Azam (c), Shan Masood, Haider Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Asif Ali, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf.Bangladesh - Najmul Hossain Shanto, Soumya Sarkar, Litton Das, Afif Hossain, Mosaddek Hossain, Shakib Al Hasan (c), Yasir Ali, Nurul Hasan (wk), Mohammad Saifuddin, Mustafizur Rahman, Ebadot Hossain.Powered by <a href="https://www.froala.com/wysiwyg-editor?pb=1" title="Froala Editor">Froala Editor</a>

Here are a few tips that could help you create your fantasy XI for the sixth T20I of the tri-series between Pakistan and Bangladesh

Mohammad Rizwan

Shadab Khan

Shakib Al Hasan

Bangladesh

Fantasy: Have as many Pakistan players as possible

LIVE: New Zealand vs Bangladesh, T20I tri-series, Match 5

Clinical NZ book place in tri-series final: As it happened

There is no rest for the Black Caps as less than 24 hours after outclassing Pakistan, the Kane Williamson-led side will be taking on a wounded Bangladesh at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch. With the victory on Tuesday, New Zealand went top of the tri-series table by virtue of Net Run Rate. The Kiwis have already all but sealed a spot in the final, but beating Bangladesh on Wednesday will fix their place in the finale.&nbsp;The Tigers, on the other hand, are in an extremely precarious position having lost each of their first two matches, and so to stand a chance of qualifying, they&rsquo;ll not only need to win their last two matches, but beat both New Zealand and Pakistan comprehensively. Defeat on Wednesday will knock Bangladesh out and make their clash against Pakistan on Thursday a dead rubber.Ground DetailsWednesday&rsquo;s clash between New Zealand and Bangladesh will be the fifth game at the Hagley Oval in this series. And it has to be said that the venue, thus far, has proven to be slow and low.Across the first four matches of this series, the average first-batting score has been a mere 145. In fact, only one time has any side posted a 150+ score; that was Pakistan against Bangladesh in the very first game of the series. Since then, the first-innings totals at the venue have read 147, 137 and 130.&nbsp;Across the last three games, there has been one clear pattern: batting has been far easier in the second innings. The wicket tends to start off slow but gets better with time. As a result, chasing has been far easier; each of the last three games in this series have been won by the team batting second. Pakistan erred on Tuesday by opting to bat but expect the skipper winning the toss on Wednesday to chase.Not too much to read into on the bowling front, except for the fact that spin has proven to be very economical. Spinners have maintained an ER of 6.8 compared to pacers&rsquo; 7.8. They&rsquo;ve also taken a good proportion of wickets (40%) despite only bowling 41.5% of the overs.Suggested Team<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1665481116159-articleimg" style="width: 800px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib fr-fil"> While you could go for the above team, you can also choose your team from<a href="https://www.cricket.com/fantasy-research-center" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> Cricket.com&rsquo;s Fantasy Research Center</a>. You can use this tool to build your team with the help of algorithms. Then, based on your preferences, the platform will guide you through creating the ideal fantasy XI.Captaincy suggestionsFor small leagues: Devon Conway &copy;, Michael Bracewell (vc)For grand leagues: Finn Allen &copy;, Tim Southee (vc)Stats that matter* Devon Conway has scored at least 30 runs in 7 of his last 8 T20I knocks. He loves playing Bangladesh: versus the Tigers, Conway has scored 177 runs in 3 innings and has a high-score of 92*.* Finn Allen&rsquo;s SR of 172.00 against Bangladesh is the highest for him against a Test-playing nation in T20Is.* Michael Bracewell will enter Wednesday&rsquo;s clash on the back of consecutive two-fers. His figures across the last two games read 8-0-25-4. In the reverse clash, the Tigers batters managed to score just 14 runs off Bracewell&rsquo;s four overs.* Afif Hossain, who has registered scores of 24 and 25 in this tri-series thus far, is Bangladesh&rsquo;s highest run-getter in T20Is this year, having amassed 390 runs at an average of 35.45. Hossain aside, only one other Bangladesh batter (Litton Das - 325 runs) has scored 200 or more runs in T20Is this calendar year.Grand League punts* Conway, Allen and Bracewell are all enticing options for captain. Among the three, Conway&rsquo;s ludicrous consistency makes him the safest bet.&nbsp;* Danger-man Yasir Ali is someone that&rsquo;s worth taking a gamble on. As is Litton Das, who is the highest run-getter for Bangladesh in this series.Probable XIsNew Zealand: Finn Allen, Devon Conway (wk), Kane Williamson (c), Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, James Neesham, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Blair TicknerBangladesh: Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Litton Das, Shakib Al Hasan (c), Afif Hossain, Mosaddek Hossain, Yasir Ali, Nurul Hasan (wk), Taskin Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud, Shoriful IslamPowered by <a href="https://www.froala.com/wysiwyg-editor?pb=1" title="Froala Editor">Froala Editor</a>

Here are a few tips that could help you create your fantasy XI for the fifth T20I of the tri-series between New Zealand and Bangladesh

Fantasy: Load your XI with the in-form Kiwi players


Having registered consecutive wins to start the competition, Pakistan&rsquo;s unbeaten start to the tri-series came to an end on Tuesday as the visitors were convincingly outclassed by New Zealand, who registered a thumping 9-wicket victory.&nbsp;The toss went Pakistan&rsquo;s way, but the Men in Green had a day to forget with the bat as despite batting the full 20 overs, they managed to put just 130 on the board. &nbsp;Both openers, the big guns, struggled big time, batting at a strike rate under 100 (<a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/20286/mohammad-rizwan/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Rizwan</a> 16 off 17, Babar 21 off 23) and only one batter (Asif Ali) went at over 125.00 as the visitors crawled their way to 130/7.&nbsp;Pakistan&rsquo;s innings, in fact, marked the first time in 77 T20Is in New Zealand that a batting side failed to register even a single six.New Zealand got to the target in a canter, chasing it down with nearly four overs to spare, and speaking in the aftermath of the contest, Pakistan skipper <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/59429/babar-azam/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Babar Azam</a> rued his side&rsquo;s dismal batting effort.&ldquo;First innings was a little bit slow, our batting was not up to the mark. Lot of things to discuss and a day off tomorrow, we will ensure we don&rsquo;t do the mistakes in the next game,&rdquo; Babar said in the presentation.The Pakistan skipper reckoned that his side were at least 30 runs short on the day.&ldquo;We had a bad day, if we had got 160 would have been good but 130 is easy for the Black Caps,&rdquo; the 27-year-old said.That the Black Caps raced towards the finish line was due to the brilliance of <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/66046/finn-allen/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Finn Allen</a>, who smoked 62 off just 42 balls, smashing six sixes. Allen took on the Pakistan bowlers from the get go and killed the chase pretty early on with some devestating strokemaking.New Zealand skipper <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/4330/kane-williamson/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Kane Williamson</a> was full of praise for the young opener.&ldquo;He (Finn Allen) has been hitting the ball well. He batted beautifully today,&rdquo; Williamson said.Allen was outstanding, but it was Michael Bracewell that walked away with the Player of the Match award. The off-spinner conceded just 11 off the 4 overs he bowled, and also accounted for the wickets of both Babar and Rizwan.The fifth match of the tri-series, between New Zealand and Bangladesh, will be played tomorrow at the same venue.Powered by <a href="https://www.froala.com/wysiwyg-editor?pb=1" title="Froala Editor">Froala Editor</a>

Despite batting the full 20 overs, Pakistan managed to put just 130 on the board

Batting was not up to the mark: Babar Azam

LIVE: New Zealand, vs Pakistan, T20I tri-series, Match 4

All-round NZ decimate PAK: As it happened

New Zealand will take on Pakistan in the fourth encounter of the <a href="https://www.cricket.com/series/international/2583/bangladesh-and-pakistan-tour-of-new-zealand-2022/matches" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">T20 tri-series</a>, also involving Bangladesh, at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch on Tuesday (October 11). Babar Azam and Co. have been dominant in this series so far, having won both their encounters. They got the better of Bangladesh by 21 runs and then toppled New Zealand by six wickets. Meanwhile, the hosts made an outstanding comeback against Bangladesh after losing to Pakistan.Ground details<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1665393706191-articleimg" style="width: 700px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">The Hagley Oval in Christchurch is hosting this entire series and the batters here have scored runs at an average of 25.4 and a strike rate of 127.4, while a wicket has fallen every 19.9 deliveries in these three games so far. The fast bowlers here have better numbers, with them operating at an average of 23.8 and a strike rate of 18.5 in this series. Meanwhile, the corresponding numbers for spinners are 27.3 and 23.1 respectively. &nbsp;Suggested team<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1665393679209-articleimg" style="width: 700px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">While you could go for the above team, you can also choose your team from <a href="https://www.cricket.com/fantasy-research-center/213894/nz-vs-pak-match-4-bangladesh-and-pakistan-tour-of-new-zealand-2022" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Cricket.com&rsquo;s Fantasy Research Centre</a>. You can use this tool to build your team with the help of algorithms. Then, based on your preferences, the platform will guide you through creating the ideal fantasy XI.Captaincy suggestionsFor small leagues: Mohammad Rizwan (c), Babar Azam (vc)For grand leagues: Devon Conway (c), Shadab Khan (vc)Stats that matter<a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/20286/mohammad-rizwan/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mohammad Rizwan</a> got out for just 4 in the last encounter but still averages 58.5 in 15 T20Is this year. The wicketkeeper-batter has 702 runs at a strike rate of 128.1 and has eight fifties to his name.&nbsp;Pakistan captain <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/59429/babar-azam/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Babar Azam</a> looked in stunning form in the last match against New Zealand, scoring 79* off 53 deliveries and helping Pakistan chase down a target of 148. That&#39;s what they say, if Rizwan doesn&#39;t get you, Babar will!Since the start of 2022, Glenn Phillips has scored 360 runs in 10 innings at an average of 51.43 and a strike rate of 146.3 in T20Is.&nbsp;With 21 wickets in 15 T20Is, no other Pakistan bowler has picked up more wickets than Haris Rauf in 2022.Grand League punts<a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/13177/devon-conway/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Devon Conway</a> has only featured in 25 T20Is so far but has managed to score 814 runs in 22 innings at an average of 50.87 and a strike rate of 136.12. The left-hander got 36 in the first game against Pakistan and then slammed 70* against Bangladesh.<a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/65739/shadab-khan/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Shadab Khan</a> batted at No. 4 in the last game and slammed 34 off 22 deliveries. Babar Azam has assured that the team management is looking to utilise his batting and we might see him continue to bat in the top-four. In 2022, Shadab has 509 runs in 25 T20 innings at a strike rate of 148.8. On top of that, the legspinner has also claimed 41 wickets a strike rate of 17.1.Probable XIsNew Zealand - Finn Allen, Devon Conway (wk), Kane Williamson (c), Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, James Neesham, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner/Ish Sodhi, Adam Milne, Tim Southee, Trent Boult.Pakistan - Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Babar Azam (c), Shan Masood, Haider Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Asif Ali, Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Haris Rauf, Shahnawaz Dahani.Powered by <a href="https://www.froala.com/wysiwyg-editor?pb=1" title="Froala Editor">Froala Editor</a>

Here are a few tips that could help you create your fantasy XI for the fourth T20I of the tri-series between New Zealand and Pakistan

TEAM	P	W	L	PTS	NRR
Q NZ	4	3	1	6	+1.133
Q PAK	4	3	1	6	+0.132
BAN	4	0	4	0	-1.236

BANGLADESH AND PAKISTAN TOUR OF NEW ZEALAND 2022

Bangladesh and Pakistan tour of New Zealand, 2022 | home

HOME

MATCHES

POINTS TABLE

SQUADS

STATS

NEWS

STADIUMS