New Zealand tour of Pakistan 2023 

PAK vs NZ, 1st ODI

Preview 

The Hosts Pakistan is all set now to take on Black Caps in the 5-match ODI series following the 2-2 T20I series tie against New Zealand. The first ODI match of the series is scheduled to take place on Thursday, 27th April at 04:00 PM from Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

The left-handed all-rounder Mark Chapman's remarkable hitting display led the Visitors to a resounding victory, securing a 2-2 T20I series tie against the Greens. It was a terrific achievement by the severely depleted visiting Blackcap side against a full-strength PAK side at home. New Zealand already defeated Pakistan on their home turf 2-1 in an ODI series earlier this year in January.

However, PAK's main players are currently playing in the IND T20 League and hence the Hosts side will begin as favourites. Babar Azam-led PAK would be in disbelief after failing to win the T20I series against NZ at home. Men in Green had their best squad at their disposal but fell short. However, PAK has a chance to make amends in the ODI series. 

The 5th place in the ODI PAK has an extremely balanced unit with plenty of solid options in both departments. The World Number One ODI batter and skipper of the side Babar Azam is expected to lead from the front. The right-handed top-order batter is the man in form for the Hosts, Babar Azam has scored 647 runs in his last 10 ODI matches at a sublime average of 73 and Babar will pose the biggest challenge for the Black Caps bowlers in this 5-match ODI series.

By tying the T20I series 2-2 against Men in Green, The 2nd placed ODI team NZ has given themselves a massive shot in the arm. However, NZ has a bigger challenge up ahead in this ODI series. Black Caps will be heading for this series without the likes of series players in their side.

Both sides have faced each other in 110 matches in ODI. Out of these 110 games, The Visitors have won 50 whereas The Hosts have come out victorious on 56 occasions. 3 matches ended without a result. 1 match ended with a tied.

Match Details

Match: PAK vs NZ, 1st ODI, New Zealand tour of Pakistan, 2023

Date: Thursday, April 27, 2023

Time: 4:00 PM

Venue: Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi

Pitch and Weather Report

The average score batting first at this venue is 241 across 24 ODIs. However, recent ODI matches have shown that the pitch has become exceptionally flat here at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. This year, this pitch has witnessed five of the highest team scores in the history of the Pakistan T20 League. With the boundaries being relatively quite short and the outfield being quick, another high-scoring match is likely on the cards. Therefore, the team that bats first should aim to set a target of approximately 320 runs.

Teams generally prefer to chase these days in limited-overs cricket, particularly in day-night games as dew helps the chasing side. The team winning the toss here is likely to bat second on this track at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

The maximum temperature will remain at 31°C, with a low of 18°C with 37% humidity and a 16 Km/hr wind speed for the first ODI Match, PAK vs NZ on April 27. During the match day, the weather in Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium will be clear. No rain is predicted in this evening encounter, but it will be partly cloudy.

PAK vs NZ Squads 

PAK: Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Babar Azam (c), Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Zaman Khan, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Nawaz, Shan Masood, Mohammad Haris, Ihsanullah

NZ: Tom Latham (c & wk), Chad Bowes, Will Young, Daryl Mitchell, Mark Chapman, Rachin Ravindra, Adam Milne, Matt Henry, Cole McConchie, Ish Sodhi, Henry Shipley, James Neesham, Dane Cleaver, Blair Tickner, Ben Lister

PAK vs NZ Probable Playing XIs

PAK: Babar Azam (c), Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Haris Sohail, Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Usama Mir

NZ: Tom Latham (c), Chad Bowes, Mark Chapman, Tom Blundell (wk), Henry Nicholls, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Matt Henry, Adam Milne, Rachin Ravindra, Ish Sodhi

Match Prediction

Babar Azam-led PAK side holds a 56-50 head-to-head record in ODIs against Black Caps. Moreover, PAK has remained unbeaten at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium against the NZ in the format. Babar Azam-led PAK will start as favourites for the first game, given the balance of the PAK squad and the inexperience in the NZ lineup.

It will be tougher for New Zealand to win matches in the ODI series on the back of some freak knocks, as NZ will need a lot more consistency from the batting unit. NZ batters might not disappoint, but it’s their bowling attack, which tends to leak plenty of runs, that might prove to be their biggest bane for the Black Caps. We expect PAK to win the first ODI.

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