Former Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board Ramiz Raja believes Pakistan side need to focus on winning right now and that team management is giving excuses for the below-bar performance.

 Jimmy Neesham kept his cool to defend six off the last ball to clinch a four-run victory for New Zealand on Thursday in the fourth Twenty20 international against Pakistan in Lahore.

Pakistan needed 18 off the last over in their chase of 179 but Neesham came out in flying colours despite being hit for a boundary off the first ball, giving a packed Gaddafi Stadium crowd heartbreaks.

Opener Tim Robinson hit a maiden half-century to lift New Zealand to 178-7 in 20 overs before pacer William O’Rourke claimed 3-27 to keep Pakistan down to 174-8.

Returning allrounder Imad Wasim (22 not out) managed to hit the last ball for a single as New Zealand took an unassailable 2-1 lead in the five-match series with the last game on Saturday, also in Lahore.

Pakistan also lost the third match by seven wickets after winning the first by the same margin while the first match was abandoned after just two balls — all three in Rawalpindi.

"There's experimentation happening here, 'so-called experimentation'. The same players are still involved, just their positions have been changed. Some are put on the bench, while others are given a chance to play," Ramiz said on his YouTube channel [as quoted by Cricket Pakistan].

"It is very important that the Pakistan team focuses on winning right now, rather than giving the excuse that they are testing bench strength.

"They're trying to assess the skills of some players, which is why they are justifying their below par performance that if we lose the match, please bear with us," he further added.

The defeats are a jolt to a full-strength Pakistan side in their preparations for the Twenty20 World Cup to be held in the United States and the West Indies in June.

New Zealand, missing a host of players due to Indian Premier League, injuries and unavailability, can feel elated at their bench strength going into the World Cup.