Pakistan defeated New Zealand today by eight wickets in the ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup. Pakistan won the toss and elected to bowl first.
Pakistan’s Under-19 side moved closer to a semi-final spot in the ICC Men’s Under-19 Cricket World Cup 2026 with a comfortable eight-wicket win over New Zealand at the Harare Sports Club on Tuesday. The victory came after another strong bowling display and a solid batting effort from the Pakistan line-up.
Bowlers set the tone
After winning the toss, Pakistan captain Farhan Yousaf chose to bowl first, a decision that paid off as the New Zealand Under-19 team was dismissed for just 110 in 28.3 overs.
Abdul Subhan was named player of the match after a strong bowling performance, taking four wickets for 11 runs to put the New Zealand batters under early pressure. Ali Raza also impressed, claiming three scalps while maintaining a disciplined rhythm. Mohammad Sayyam, Momin Qamar and Ahmed Hussain each chipped in with a wicket.
New Zealand struggled to build partnerships but could not survive against the bowling attack. Hugo Bogue was the standout for the visitors with 39 runs from 27 balls, but his effort was not enough to keep his side’s innings together. Other batters found runs hard to come by as the Pakistan bowlers maintained control.
Pakistan’s chase
In response, Pakistan reached the target of 111 runs with the loss of just two wickets in 17.1 overs. Sameer Minhas was the highest scorer for Pakistan, making 70 runs from 58 balls, the team’s leading batting performance on the day. His innings provided the backbone of the chase and allowed Pakistan to complete the win with plenty of overs to spare. Farhan Yousaf also contributed with quick runs, helping to keep the required rate down.
What it means for both teams
The win gives Pakistan momentum as they have secured a place in the semi-finals through the win, just in the Super Six stage. Their balanced performance with both ball and bat will be a confidence boost going into tougher matches ahead.
New Zealand, meanwhile, remain without a win at this stage and will need to regroup quickly if they are to stay in contention for the knockout rounds.
Also Read: Pakistan U19 demolish New Zealand U19 at 110 runs
