PAK vs NZ: Latham gives credit to Pakistan batters after loss

New Zealand batter Tom Latham gave credit to Pakistan batters — Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Fakhar Zaman and Haris Sohail — after the hosts' victory against the Kiwis in the opening ODI at the National Bank Cricket Arena in Karachi on Monday.

Pakistan, on Monday, beat the Kiwis by six wickets in the opening ODI, thanks to a half-century each from skipper Babar, Rizwan, and Fakhar.

"We didn't have quite enough runs, I think. When we threatened to look for a big partnership, we managed to look for wickets at crucial times. If we were close to the 300-run mark, then things would've been different. The fight that we showed with the ball was really good, to keep that run rate up, but credit to the way Babar, Rizwan, and Haris came out and played exceptionally well in that situation," the wicket-keeper batter said.

The 30-year-old again stressed that more runs on the scoreboard would've made the results different but stated that New Zealand will learn from the mistakes and put them into practice in the coming days.

The left-handed batter also heaped praise on debutant Usama Mir, who claimed two wickets and was mean with his economy.

"He bowled really well. A top leg spinner. He bowls at a decent pace and managed to get a little bit of turn off the surface. I am sure he will be really happy with how he went on his debut, and we will be seeing him a bit more this series," he said.

Pakistan restricted New Zealand to 255 runs before chasing down the target in 48.1 overs.

The two sides will take on each other at the same venue on Wednesday.