Stead, who will name his squad for June’s World Cup in the United States and Caribbean on Monday, was content with that turnaround after a seven-wicket thrashing in the first match to be completed in Rawalpindi.

“I’m very proud of the way our team played,” Stead told reporters from Lahore. “We had a disappointing first hit out and where we were soundly beaten but to bounce back from that I thought was really pleasing and I think there’s a few young guys that have certainly increased their stocks over here.

“Let’s not forget Pakistan only two years ago were World Cup finalists and … for us to compete with them I think was really, really pleasing for us.” With nine first-choice players unavailable because of Indian Premier League (IPL) duties and test skipper Tim Southee rested, the touring squad was pretty much a second-string outfit.

Promising opener Tim Robinson won his first T20 cap on the tour and scored 51 off 36 to anchor New Zealand’s innings in the fourth match but missed Saturday’s clash with a groin injury.

Seamer Will O’Rourke also impressed in his first T20 international series with a Man of the Match performance in the fourth match, taking 3-27 from his four overs.

Stead said all players in the international set-up needed to keep working even if they missed out on the World Cup squad on Monday given that replacements were likely to be needed at some stage.

“We’ve obviously got a number of guys in the IPL that will either join us when they get knocked out of the IPL or join us immediately after that when we travel to the West Indies,” he said.

Read more:New Zealand elect to bowl first in fifth T20I against Pakistan

“So the guys will still be working hard. There’ll be a number of fringe players who miss selection who will want to keep training as well just in case of injury,” he said.

Michael Clarke hails Jake Fraser-McGurk’s batting prowess in IPL

Former Australian captain Michael Clarke has hailed Jake Fraser-McGurk’s explosive form in the Indian Premier League (IPL), making a compelling argument for his inclusion in Australia’s Twenty20 World Cup squad.

Fraser-McGurk’s scintillating innings of 84 off just 27 balls, adorned with 11 boundaries and six maximums, propelled the Delhi Capitals to a formidable total of 257-4 against perennial champions Mumbai Indians. This performance, alongside his record-equalling half-century in just 15 deliveries, has caught Clarke’s attention, advocating for the 22-year-old’s selection in the squad bound for the USA and West Indies in June.

Clarke, expressing his views from the commentary box, emphasised the difficulty in overlooking Fraser-McGurk’s outstanding contributions.

He highlighted the youngster’s adaptability to potentially similar conditions in the Caribbean, foreseeing a crucial role for him in navigating the challenges of slower wickets and the necessity for power-hitting in the powerplay overs. With the selection imminent, Clarke emphasised that Fraser-McGurk’s consistent performances have solidified his candidature for a spot in the final 15.

Fraser-McGurk’s impact hasn’t gone unnoticed by former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar, who marvelled at his remarkable statistics, including an impressive tally of 22 sixes and a staggering 220 runs scored through boundaries out of his total of 247 runs in five matches. This phenomenal display of power-hitting has elevated T20 batting to new heights, earning Fraser-McGurk widespread recognition.

Despite his relatively young age, Fraser-McGurk’s prowess with the bat has been evident for some time, as highlighted by his blistering 29-ball century against Tasmania in the Marsh Cup last year, setting a new benchmark for the fastest hundred in one-day cricket.

Delhi Capitals’ assistant coach, Pravin Amre, attested to Fraser-McGurk’s unique talent, citing his X-factor evident even during net sessions.