The second ODI between Pakistan and New Zealand in Hamilton definitely brought some drama and surprises, especially with a rule that surprised a lot of fans. Pakistan was facing a tough target of 293 runs, but what really got people talking was seeing Naseem Shah go out to bat, considering he wasn’t even in the starting lineup. It sounds strange, right? A bowler who wasn’t supposed to play stepped up to the plate because of an unexpected twist involving the concussion substitute rule.
Read Also: Why Naseem Shah Is Missing Today’s Match Against New Zealand
Things took a serious turn in the 25th over when Pakistan’s batting line-up was already struggling. Haris Rauf took a hard hit to the helmet from a bouncer thrown by New Zealand’s Will O’Rourke. The impact was tough enough to shake him up, and he had to leave the field. Officially, he was declared ‘retired hurt,’ and that’s when the concussion substitute rule kicked in.
Haris Rauf Forced to Retire Hurt After Nasty Blow ⚠️
— PakPassion.net (@PakPassion) April 2, 2025
A concerning moment as Rauf takes a sharp bouncer to the helmet, fails the mandatory concussion test, and walks off. Akif Javed walks in to bat. pic.twitter.com/RHgFHxnqqM
This rule allows a team to replace a player who can’t continue due to a concussion with another player who can step in seamlessly. So, despite Naseem not being part of the playing XI at the start of the game, he was brought in to replace Rauf and went in to bat. It turned out to be an unexpected chance for him, and he really made it count.
Even though he was sitting on the bench for most of the match, Naseem Shah ended up being one of the standout performers for Pakistan. Other big hitters like Babar Azam (who only got 1 run off 3 balls), Mohammad Rizwan (5 runs off 27 deliveries), and Imam-ul-Haq (3 runs off 12 balls) didn’t manage to offer much of a challenge and fell one after the other. Here comes Naseem, stepping in at number 10, and he made a real impact by scoring 51 runs off 44 balls, including 4 fours and 4 sixes, maintaining a strike rate of 115.90.
The only one who scored higher than him was Faheem Ashraf with 73 runs. But Naseem’s effort added some necessary spark to a chase that was looking pretty bleak. Sadly, in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t enough. Pakistan ended their innings at just 208 runs, falling behind New Zealand by 84 runs. This defeat meant that New Zealand clinched the series with a match still left to play. What a wild match it turned out to be!
