Pak vs NZ: New Zealand Choose to Bat First Against Pakistan in Historic Tri-Nation Opener

On Saturday, New Zealand won the toss and chose to bat first against Pakistan in the opening match of the four-game tri-nation series at the newly renovated Gaddafi Stadium.

Pakistan, serving as the host nation for New Zealand and South Africa in the series, aims to build on its recent success. After a tough phase, the Men in Green have shown remarkable improvement, including a historic 2-1 series victory in Australia last November—their first in over 20 years. This was followed by an impressive clean sweep against South Africa in December, further boosting their confidence.

Read more: New Zealand Arrives in Pakistan for Tri-Nation Series

As the teams gear up for the much-anticipated contest, Pakistan hopes to continue its winning streak. Statistically, Rizwan-led Pakistan has the upper hand in their ODI encounters with New Zealand, having won more matches in their 116 face-offs. With three matches ending without a result and one resulting in a tie, the rivalry adds excitement to the tournament.

Pakistan vs New Zealand Squads

Pakistan: Mohammad Rizwan (c)(wk), Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Salman Ali Agha, Tayyab Tahir, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Hasnain, Sufiyan Muqeem.

New Zealand: Mitchell Santner (c), Will Young, Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Kane Williamson, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham, Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Nathan Smith, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Ben Sears, Will O’Rourke, Jacob Duffy.

Tri-series schedule