New Zealand opt to bat in first game of tri-series; Babar to open for Pakistan
Written by I Dig Sports
Published in
Cricket
Saturday, 08 February 2025 00:59
Toss New Zealand opt to bat vs Pakistan
New Zealand won the toss and chose to bat first against Pakistan in the first game of the tri-series, which also involves South Africa. Mitchell Santner opted to set a target on a pitch that appears as flat as ODI pitches have been in Pakistan in recent times. "It's a good opportunity for us to get a look at these surfaces before the Champions Trophy," Santner said at the toss.
New Zealand's opening batters will be Rachin Ravindra and Will Young, while Lockie Ferguson's injury means Will O'Rourke, Ben Sears and Matt Henry will be their fast bowlers.
Meanwhile, Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan said he would have batted first, too, and confirmed that Babar Azam would open the batting alongside Fakhar Zaman. That will be the first time Babar will be opening in an ODI since 2015. Pakistan go in with three seamers, and Abrar Ahmed as the only frontline spinner, with Khushdil Shah returning to the middle order.
Pakistan: 1 Fakhar Zaman, 2 Babar Azam, 3 Kamran Ghulam, 4 Mohammad Rizwan (capt, wk), 5 Tayyab Tahir, 6 Salman Ali Agha, 7 Khushdil Shah, 8 Shaheen Shah Afridi, 9 Naseem Shah, 10 Haris Rauf, 11 Abrar Ahmed
New Zealand: 1 Will Young, 2 Rachin Ravindra, 3 Kane Williamson, 4 Daryl Mitchell, 5 Tom Latham (wk), 6 Glenn Phillips, 7 Michael Bracewell, 8 Mitchell Santner (capt), 9 Ben Sears, 10 Matt Henry, 11 Will O'Rourke
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