After a closely fought Test series that ended in a stalemate, New Zealand move on to the 3-match ODI (ICC Super League) leg of their tour of Pakistan on Monday 9th January 2023 at Karachi.
The series will see the IPL-hardened Black Caps with Kane Williamson at the helm once again take on a team rather low on morale and firepower.
With their main weapon Shaheen Shah Afridi missing due to a knee injury and vice-captain Shadab Khan unavailable after fracturing his right index finger in Australia last week, Babar Azam-led Pakistan have called up uncapped Tayyab Tahir, Kamran Ghulam (both batsmen) and wrist spinner Usama Mir to a 16-man squad that also sees Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Shan Masood and Haris Sohail make a comeback.
For New Zealand, Trent Boult, who is no longer on a New Zealand central contract, had made himself unavailable for selection for the tour, Kyle Jamieson was unavailable because he is still recovering from a back injury and Blair Tickner replaces Adam Milne who expressed concerns about his preparation for the back-to-back away series (India next).
Test captain Tim Southee will spearhead an attack that are fresh off the 1-0 series win over India against a rather inexperienced Pakistan led by an under-fire captain. Head Coach Saqlain Mushtaq and Babar Azam’s captaincy is under scrutiny this series with rumours rife of a change in both captain and coach sooner rather than later.
Head-to-Head
Total – 104
Pakistan – 55
New Zealand – 48
Schedule
1st ODI – January 10, National Stadium, Karachi
2nd ODI – January 12, Multan Cricket Stadium, Multan
3rd ODI – January 14, National Stadium, Karachi
🏏 Squads
Pakistan: Babar Azam (c), Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Haris Sohail, Imam-ul-Haq, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Salman Agha, Shahnawaz Dahani, Shan Masood, Tayyab Tahir, Usama Mir
New Zealand: Kane Williamson (c), Tom Latham, Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Blair Tickner, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Henry Shipley, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee
