During the second One-Day International (ODI) match between Pakistan and New Zealand, an unexpected twist occurred when officials discovered the cricket pitch’s measurements were incorrect. The match was being hosted at the Rawalpindi Stadium.
Though the match began with the faulty pitch, the situation was quickly rectified. However, the 30-yard circle was left as it was. The Pakistan team had already bowled the first over before the discrepancy was noticed.
Experienced umpire Aleem Dar intervened in the second over, remedying the issue by manually adjusting the circle’s measurement. This adjustment caused a brief delay, with approximately six minutes of game time lost to the correction.
The match proceeded after the resolution, with Pakistan having won the toss and electing to bowl first. Pakistan is currently leading the five-match series 1-0, having secured a victory in the first ODI thanks to a stellar century by opening batsman Fakhar Zaman.
The series has been competitive so far, with New Zealand previously managing to level the score in the preceding five-match T20 series. This was achieved despite the absence of eight key players, including their captain Kane Williamson, due to other commitments such as the ongoing Indian Premier League and injury-related concerns.
