New Zealand and Pakistan will face each other in the 1st ODI of the 3-match series. The 1st game will be played at Mclean Park on 28th March.
Match Preview:
Pakistan will be coming from a disastrous Champions Trophy campaign where they were knocked out in the 1st stage, losing their 1st two games to New Zealand and India, respectively. The third game was washed-out but being the homeside they ended their campaign at bottom.
Pakistan has lost the T20 leg by 4-1 but now they will have Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam back in the squad. If anything, they can regroup and give it all in the upcoming ODI series.
From the Champions Trophy, Pakistan have dropped Saud Shakeel and Shaheen Shah Afridi from the squad. However, all the eyes will be on Rizwan, the captain, who has been the mainstay of the team at number 4. His Champions Trophy was a below-par tournament, if anything the captain would look to make a mark, and heroics can be expected as New Zealand is the same place where Rizwan’s career was reignited.
Talking about New Zealand, they had a great CT campaign but they lost the final to the India side. The Black Caps have been in a greater form in the white-ball cricket and this time they have announced uncapped players in the squad as well considering the main players like Rachin Ravindra, Devon Conway, Glenn Phillips and Santner all missed out, given their IPL commitments. Kane Williamson was also unavailable for selection.
Tom Latham will lead the Black Caps in the ODI series, the wicket-keeper batter was on song in the Champions Trophy.
Wellington Firebirds duo Nick Kelly, a top-order batsman, and Muhammad Abbas, a left-arm pace bowler, have received their first-ever national call-ups.
Although the Black Caps will have a new and younger side, given they are playing at their home, they will be unlikely in any pressure.
Probable Playing XI:
New Zealand
Will Young, Henry Nicholls, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Hay (wk), Michael Bracewell (c), Nathan Smith, William O’Rourke, Adithya Ashok, Jacob Duffy, Ben Sears
Pakistan
Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan (c), Tayyab Tahir, Agha Salman, Mohammad Haris, Khushdil Shah, Faheem Ashraf, Abrar Ahmed, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Sufiyan Muqeem
Pitch and weather report:
McLean Park in Napier is expected to offer a traditional New Zealand pitch that favors fast bowlers, as evident from recent history.
In late 2023, New Zealand was bowled out for just 98 by Bangladesh, and in 2019, they suffered a similar fate against India, being dismissed for under 160 after batting first.
The conditions for the NZ vs PAK 1st ODI appear to be conducive to seam bowling, with both teams’ pace attacks likely to play a significant role.
Weather-wise, Saturday is forecasted to be partly cloudy with minimal chances of rain. The temperature will be around 20 degrees Celsius, ideal for pacers, with the match starting at 11:00 AM local time.
Head-to-head record:
New Zealand and Pakistan have a long-standing ODI rivalry, having faced each other 119 times. Historically, Pakistan holds a slender edge, with 61 wins to New Zealand’s 54. Three matches ended in no result, while one was tied.
Prediction:
Given how New Zealand has played in the T20 leg of the series, they will be eager to carry the momentum in the ODI series as well.
Where to Watch:
Pakistan: Tapmad, Tamasha, Ten Sports,
New Zealand: TVNZ+
India: SonyLiv app and website
Others: CricHD
