Pakistan’s final ODI against New Zealand in Mount Maunganui ended in both sporting defeat and controversy as Khushdil Shah was involved in an alleged heated altercation with spectators hurling abuse and anti-Pakistan slogans.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) strongly condemned the incident, stating that foreign spectators—reportedly of Afghan origin—directed inappropriate and abusive language towards players during the match on Saturday, 5 April. Security personnel had to physically restrain Shah after he attempted to confront the offending fans near the boundary line.
The match, which saw Pakistan slump to a 43-run defeat and a 0–3 series whitewash, was marred by the tense post-match scene. A widely shared video shows Shah trying to scale the fence while shouting at fans, who responded with jeers and slurs in Pashto.
“The Pakistan cricket team management has strongly condemned the abusive language directed at national players by foreign spectators,” the PCB said in a statement.
“When anti-Pakistan slogans emerged, cricketer Khushdil Shah intervened and appealed to the spectators to desist. In response, Afghan spectators escalated the situation.”
Stadium officials reportedly responded to a formal complaint by the Pakistan team and ejected the two disruptive fans from Bay Oval.
Tensions were high after another disappointing performance by Pakistan, despite fielding a full-strength squad. New Zealand, missing several key players due to IPL commitments, dominated the rain-shortened 42-over match. Ben Sears delivered a match-winning five-wicket haul, ensuring the hosts clinched the series 3-0.
While Babar Azam showed resilience with a half-century, Pakistan collapsed to 221 all out in pursuit of New Zealand’s 264. Earlier, Rhys Mariu and Michael Bracewell played key roles in the hosts’ batting effort, with Bracewell smashing 59 off 40 balls.
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