MOUNT MAUNGANUI: Pakistan laid claim to being the best Twenty20 side in the world Sunday after beating New Zealand in the series-deciding final Twenty20 match in Mount Maunganui.

The 18-run victory gave Pakistan a come-frombehind 2-1 series win that will see them overtake New Zealand at the top of the world T20 rankings.

An animated captain Sarfraz Ahmed leapt with delight and punched the air after the final ball as Pakistan pulled off back-toback wins over the hosts.

It marked an incredible comeback for the tourists who were whitewashed in the five-match one-day series on arrival in New Zealand and lost the first Twenty20.

`It was a tough tour for us because... we lost the [ODI] series but T20s is a totally different format,` said speedster Mohammad Amir, who won the man-ofthe-series award. `It is very special for all Pakistani people.

Sarfraz praised the team effort and the way his side refused to be bowed after a disappointing start to the tour.

`Credit goes to my boys, the way we came back af ter losing six matches in a row was amazing,` Sarfraz said.

`I think we just said to the guys after the one-day series and the first match of the Twenty20 series to just play your own game.

`There were team plans but it also came down to the performances of the batsmen like Fakhar Zaman and Ahmed Shehzad and all the bowlers. That`s why we reached 180 and the way we bowled was excellent today.

Batting first on a friendly wicket, Pakistan reached 181 for six with opener Fakhar making 46 off 36 at the top of the innings.

With wickets in hand, Umar Amin was able to lead a late charge that saw 58runs scoredin the nnalfour overs.

New Zealand, in reply, were never up with the run chase, and managed 163 for six in their 20 overs.

The defeat followed a 48-run loss in the second Twenty20, which ended a 13-match winning streak across all formats, and put a dampener on NewZealand`s preparation for next month`s triangular series with Australia and England.

`We weren`t quite at our best and it was the pressure Pakistan put us under,` New Zealand captain Kane Williamson said. `The way they came out and bowled and the discipline they showedwas the difference and for us T20 is such a une line, we know that, and it was close-ish today. There are a couple of things we would have liked to do better and the result may have changed.

Fakhar was the architect at the start of the Pakistan innings with a sharp innings before being dismissed in adebatable decision when Tom Bruce took a catch at ground level.

Television replays were inconclusive on whether the ball touched the grass, and after lengthy deliberations the third umpire ruled in favour of the on-field decision.

New Zealand managed to arrest Pakistan`s brisk earlyrun rate in the middle of the innings until Umar lashed out. His 21 came of f the first five balls in an over f rom Ish Sodhi before the New Zealand spinner claimed the wicket off the final delivery.

Haris Sohail chipped in with 20 off 12 balls while Aamer Yamin, replacing theinjured HasanAli,facedsix deliveries for his 15.

New Zealand struggled from the start of their reply to get near the required run rate of more than nine an over, and were in early trouble when Williamson was out for nine.

Martin Guptill attempted to bully the bowlers but it was primarily a lone stand.

When he was removed for59 off 43 balls in the 13th over, the required run rate had shot up to 13.57.

Ross Taylor put the ball over the boundary fence three times in his 25 off 10 balls.

But with his dismissal in the 17th over, New Zealand were 128 for five and their hopes of a miraculous comeback were over.-Agencies