Cricket: Finn Allen credits advice from Kane Williamson for star showings against Pakistan

Fresh from a man-of-the-match display in New Zealand's 21-run Twenty20 International victory over Pakistan, Finn Allen has credited the impact of white-ball captain Kane Williamson for his stellar start to the series.  

On Friday, in the series opener at Eden Park, Allen slammed a rapid 34 from just 15 balls, including 24 runs in one over off Pakistan captain Shaheen Shah Afridi.  

Then on Sunday night, Allen recorded his fourth T20 International half-century, hitting 74 from 41 balls - in which a staggering 58 of his runs came in boundaries.

Despite his incredible promise since coming on the international scene in early 2021, Allen's aggressive nature has seen him at times struggle to consistently produce match-changing scores.  

From 37 games, he still averages under 25 with the bat, even if it comes at a strike rate of close to 160 runs per 100 balls faced.   

But in the last two outings, Allen has looked to be the player the Blackcaps have always wanted him to be.  

Speaking after his heroics on Sunday, though, the 24-year-old credited the presence of his captain at the other end for what he's been able to do so far this series.  

"I think it's just an assessment of the wicket," said Allen. "[In the] first game, having Kane around me, knowing he's the rock so I could be a bit more aggressive and take the high-risk options on a good wicket.  

"Today, it was a bit of both. Me and Dev [Devon Conway] were kind of both going at the start, we thought it was a good time to bat.   

"Through the middle I wanted to pick my deliveries a bit more and build that partnership with Kane.  

"[Kane tells me to] keep taking strong options and keep backing myself really.

"We don't really talk a whole lot in terms of that stuff out there. We just identify what the bowlers are doing, what the wicket's like, to hold good shapes and have strong options."  

In Auckland, Allen and Williamson added 49 runs in just 28 balls together, and went again in Hamilton with a partnership of 52 from just 29 before the captain was forced to retire hurt with a hamstring complaint.  

Williamson was slated to miss game three in Dunedin regardless, but all eyes will now be on that hamstring, especially with test series against South Africa and Australia to come later this summer.   

Mitchell Santner is likely to captain in Williamson's absence, while Tim Seifert or Will Young loom as options to slot in at No.3 in the batting order, as New Zealand hold a 2-0 lead with three games still to play.

Allen, though, should loom as the focal point of Pakistan's worries as the Blackcaps chase a series win.  

In his last four innings for club and country, Allen has passed 50 three times, and hit 18 sixes in those innings – albeit with 10 of them coming in the Super Smash against domestic opposition.  

Recent form is a huge boost to Allen, who missed out on last year's Cricket World Cup in India, due to his inconsistency at the highest level.

And in his absence, Rachin Ravindra has proven to be worth persisting in as a top-order option, notably in 50 over cricket.  

But in the shortest format, Allen says he's left no stone unturned in his place to become a New Zealand regular, especially as the Twenty20 World Cup in the West Indies and USA approaches.   

"I feel like I've been doing some good work outside of the games, behind the scenes with Auckland," Allen said.  

"I'm pretty happy with the direction that I'm heading."

Fresh from a man-of-the-match display in New Zealand's 21-run Twenty20 International victory over Pakistan, Finn Allen has credited the impact of white-ball captain Kane Williamson for his stellar start to the series.  

On Friday, in the series opener at Eden Park, Allen slammed a rapid 34 from just 15 balls, including 24 runs in one over off Pakistan captain Shaheen Shah Afridi.  

Then on Sunday night, Allen recorded his fourth T20 International half-century, hitting 74 from 41 balls - in which a staggering 58 of his runs came in boundaries.

Despite his incredible promise since coming on the international scene in early 2021, Allen's aggressive nature has seen him at times struggle to consistently produce match-changing scores.  

From 37 games, he still averages under 25 with the bat, even if it comes at a strike rate of close to 160 runs per 100 balls faced.   

But in the last two outings, Allen has looked to be the player the Blackcaps have always wanted him to be.  

Speaking after his heroics on Sunday, though, the 24-year-old credited the presence of his captain at the other end for what he's been able to do so far this series.  

"I think it's just an assessment of the wicket," said Allen. "[In the] first game, having Kane around me, knowing he's the rock so I could be a bit more aggressive and take the high-risk options on a good wicket.  

"Today, it was a bit of both. Me and Dev [Devon Conway] were kind of both going at the start, we thought it was a good time to bat.   

"Through the middle I wanted to pick my deliveries a bit more and build that partnership with Kane.  

"[Kane tells me to] keep taking strong options and keep backing myself really.

"We don't really talk a whole lot in terms of that stuff out there. We just identify what the bowlers are doing, what the wicket's like, to hold good shapes and have strong options."  

In Auckland, Allen and Williamson added 49 runs in just 28 balls together, and went again in Hamilton with a partnership of 52 from just 29 before the captain was forced to retire hurt with a hamstring complaint.  

Williamson was slated to miss game three in Dunedin regardless, but all eyes will now be on that hamstring, especially with test series against South Africa and Australia to come later this summer.   

Mitchell Santner is likely to captain in Williamson's absence, while Tim Seifert or Will Young loom as options to slot in at No.3 in the batting order, as New Zealand hold a 2-0 lead with three games still to play.

Allen, though, should loom as the focal point of Pakistan's worries as the Blackcaps chase a series win.  

In his last four innings for club and country, Allen has passed 50 three times, and hit 18 sixes in those innings – albeit with 10 of them coming in the Super Smash against domestic opposition.  

Recent form is a huge boost to Allen, who missed out on last year's Cricket World Cup in India, due to his inconsistency at the highest level.

And in his absence, Rachin Ravindra has proven to be worth persisting in as a top-order option, notably in 50 over cricket.  

But in the shortest format, Allen says he's left no stone unturned in his place to become a New Zealand regular, especially as the Twenty20 World Cup in the West Indies and USA approaches.   

"I feel like I've been doing some good work outside of the games, behind the scenes with Auckland," Allen said.  

"I'm pretty happy with the direction that I'm heading."

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