RAWALPINDI: Pakistan have won the toss and decided to bowl first against New Zealand in the first of the five One-Day Internationals (ODIs) at the Pindi Cricket Stadium today (Thursday).
The two sides will enter the series after an exciting five-match T20 International series that ended in a 2-2 draw on Monday. That well-fought series promises equally competitive and exciting five matches for which both the sides have added a player each. Pakistan have added wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Haris and New Zealand has included Mark Chapman, whose extraordinary batting efforts in the T20Is earned him player of the series award.
The Pindi will also host the second ODI on Saturday, before the two teams will fly south for the remaining three matches in Karachi.
Both Pakistan and New Zealand have qualified directly for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 after finishing in the top-eight of the 13-team ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League. New Zealand topped the Super League with 16 wins in 24 matches, while Pakistan finished fifth with 13 wins in 21 matches. Pakistan’s series against Afghanistan was mutually postponed after both the sides were assured of places in the event proper.
Pakistan’s record since the start of last year has also been a remarkable one. They enjoy the win-loss ratio of 3, which is the best for any side. During this period, they have beaten Australia (2-1), West Indies (3-0) and the Netherlands (3-0) before losing to New Zealand (2-1) earlier in the year in Karachi.
On the ICC ODI Team Rankings, fifth-ranked Pakistan has a chance to move to the top of the table. However, to make it happen, they will have to win all the five matches against the second-ranked New Zealand. A 4-1 series win will lift Pakistan to third.
In the ICC ODI Player Rankings, Pakistan captain Babar Azam is the No.1 ranked batter. He is sitting on 887 rating points and has a chance to break the 900-point threshold, which is the hallmark of a great batter. Zaheer Abbas (931) and Javed Miandad (910) are the only two Pakistan batters who have previously achieved the ratings of 900 or more.
Imam-ul-Haq (third), Fakhar Zaman (10th), Tom Latham (32nd), Haris Sohail (47th) and Mohammad Rizwan (64th) are the other prominent batters to feature in the series and will be eying an upward movement with strong performances.
New Zealand’s Matt Henry is the highest-ranked bowler from either side. He is ranked fifth, while Pakistan’s Shaheen Shah Afridi is 35 points behind in eighth position. If Shaheen takes the field on Thursday, then it will be his first ODI since taking one for 17 against the West Indies in Multan in June last year. Australia’s Josh Hazlewood is the number-one ranked bowler in the world.
Amongst the all-rounders, Pakistan vice-captain Shadab Khan is ranked 14th and needs 11 points to break into the top-10.
The series will also see the return of Chris Broad to Pakistan for the first time in 14 years. The former England opener and member of the ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees will referee in all the five ODIs with umpiring responsibilities to be shared between Ahsan Raza, Aleem Dar, Asif Yaqoob, Faisal Afridi, Joel Wilson, Langton Rusere and Rashid Riaz.
Squads:
Pakistan – Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Haris Sohail, Ihsanullah, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shan Masood and Usama Mir
New Zealand – Tom Latham (captain), Adam Milne, Ben Lister, Blair Tickner, Chad Bowes, Cole McConchie, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Henry Shipley, Ish Sodhi, Jimmy Neesham, Mark Chapman, Matt Henry, Rachin Ravindra, Tom Blundell and Will Young.
