Pakistan’s bowling coach, Umar Gul, addressed the media following Pakistan’s 46-run defeat to New Zealand in the first T20I at Eden Park, Auckland. Despite Babar Azam’s efforts, Pakistan struggled to chase the mammoth target of 227 runs set by the Kiwis.

Gul expressed confidence in Babar’s abilities, stating that today’s performance will boost Babar’s confidence. He emphasized that Babar, being one of the best players in the world, was not out of form in the previous series, and sometimes luck doesn’t support a player. Although he scored 30-40 runs, the team was expecting a big innings, such as a century, which unfortunately didn’t happen.

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Speaking about the recent match, Gul highlighted Babar’s strike rate and his overall batting performance, considering it a positive sign for Pakistan. He believes that Babar gained confidence from today’s innings, which is good for both him and the team.

In the first T20I, Babar Azam emerged as the top scorer, smashing 57 runs off 35 balls. However, his contribution wasn’t sufficient to achieve the massive target set by New Zealand. Despite young Saim Ayub’s impressive 27 off 8 balls, Pakistan fell short in the chase, resulting in a defeat in Shaheen Afridi’s first series as T20 captain.