Umar Gul’s bowling guided Pakistan to a 6-wicket win over New Zealand. Vettori made a come-back after injury. The Kiwis won the toss and elected to bat. Pakistan recalled Abdul Razzaq post his stint at ICL. An important member of Pakistani team, Razzaq did not disappoint his captain and took 2 wickets for 17 runs.

However, the star of the day was Umar Gul, whose 5-wicket haul restricted the Kiwis to just 99 runs. Gul conceded only 6 runs. Gul became the first bowler to claim 5 wickets in an innings in T20 internationals. His bowling broke the back-bone of the Kiwi batting line-up.

Chasing 100 runs for a victory, Shahzaib Hasan provided a steady start to the Pakistani innings. Hasan scored 35 off 28 runs. Pakistan needed to bat sensibly to keep its hopes alive for the semi-final berth.

Afridi walked in at 61/3. He kept away from ambitious shots and played to the situation. He scored an unbeaten 29 off 18 balls. This was a crucial match for Pakistan after the loss to Sri Lanka. Gul was the man of the match for his splendid bowling.
 

Match Summary

New Zealand – 99 all out (Styris 22, Gul 5/6)
Pakistan –  100/4 (Hasan 35, Afridi 29*, Vettori 2/20)
Result – Pakistan won by 6 wickets
Man-of-the-match – Umar Gul
Venue – The Oval, London (June 13, 2009)