Pakistan all-rounder Khushdil Shah lost his cool following the team’s defeat in the third and final ODI against New Zealand on Saturday at Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui. After the loss, Khushdil charged toward a section of the crowd, though the exact reason for his outburst remains unclear.
The crowd had persistently taunted the players about their disappointing performances during the New Zealand tour. Pakistan lost 1-4 in the five-match T20I series and 0-3 in the three-match ODI series.
The 30-year-old lost his temper and confronted the fans. However, before the situation escalated, members of the support staff intervened and escorted him away from the scene.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) also issued a statement condemning the abusive language directed at the players by foreign spectators.
Khushdil Shah fights with angry Pakistan fans and PCB, their media shamelessly puts blame on Afghanistanis. Earlier in USA, Haris Rauf had a fight with angry Pakistani fan but put blame calling that fan as an Indian. Pakistan Army disowns their soldiers dead bodies and Pakistan… pic.twitter.com/zLu4o3OJLC
— Tony Soprano (@Tony_Soprano21) April 5, 2025
“As anti-Pakistan chants started, Khushdil Shah intervened. He urged the crowd to stop. However, the situation escalated when Afghan spectators responded with more offensive language in Pashto. After the Pakistani team’s complaint, stadium officials took action by removing the two disruptive individuals,” PCB said.
His fight with the fans reminded everyone of Inzamam Ul Haq’s clash with one of the supporters during the IND vs. PAK match in Toronto in 1997. Inzy was furious after being called Aaloo (Potato) and wanted to hit a fan with the bat but was stopped by security officials.
Pakistan’s struggles continued in the third ODI as they failed to chase down 265 runs in a rain-affected match. Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam both played decent knocks—50 and 37 runs, respectively. However, once they were dismissed, the remaining batsmen failed to score, leading to a comfortable 3-0 series victory for the BlackCaps.
It’s worth noting that Khushdil Shah was not part of the playing XI for the final ODI against New Zealand.
Earlier, Pakistan had also lost the first two ODIs in the series, following a 4-1 defeat in the five-match T20I series. The team’s recent struggles were further compounded by their failure to reach the semi-finals of the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025.
Pakistan has faced challenging times recently, with the team falling short of reaching the semi-finals in the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025.