New Zealand and Pakistan will face off in the first warm-up match to be played at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium behind closed doors on 29th September. All 15 players would be allowed to feature in the game.
The runners-up of the 2019 edition of the World Cup Kiwis lost their previous One-day international series away from home against England by 1-3 while Pakistan did not qualify for the finals of the recently concluded Asia Cup 2023.
New Zealand captain Kane Williamson will be eager to test his fitness after recovering from an injury. All the batters including Tom Latham, Devon Conway, and Daryl Mitchell would be looking to gain batting practice ahead of the first World Cup match to be played on 5th October.
In the bowling department, the likes of Trent Boult, Kyle Jamieson, Tim Southee, and Lockie Ferguson would look to make use of the conditions available in Hyderabad.
Pakistan would be looking to prove its worth after a disappointing performance in the 2023 Asia Cup. The batting unit especially Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Abdullah Shafique, Mohammed Rizwan, and Iftikhar Ahmed would look for batting practice.
The bowling unit comprising Haris Rauf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Hasan Ali, Shahbad Khan, and Mohammad Nawaz, would look to perform well as a unit before the main tournament begins with Pakistan taking on Sri Lanka at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad on the 6th October.
Match Details
Details– Pakistan vs. New Zealand, 3rd Warm-up match, ICC Cricket World Cup 2023
Venue– Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad.
Date and Time– 29th September, 2.00 PM
Head-to-Head Record
Pakistan and New Zealand played a total of 115 matches between themselves in the ODI format with Pakistan winning 60 matches while New Zealand won 51, 1 tied and 3 ending in no-result.
Both teams have met 9 times in the ICC Cricket World Cup tournament with Pakistan having a clear advantage winning 7 occasions while New Zealand won only 2 times.
The last time that they met in 50 50-over event, Pakistan registered a comprehensive win over New Zealand during the 2019 World Cup match. Babar Azam scored a superb century that helped Pakistan win but could not help Pakistan qualify for the semi-finals due to an inferior net run rate than New Zealand.
Pitch Report
The pitch at Rajiv Gandhi International, Hyderabad provides balance between bat and ball. It has some initial movement for the pacers before it becomes good for batting.
Both captains would be looking to test their teams and hoping for a contest between two top-quality teams. It will be interesting to see what does captain does after winning the toss on a good batting paradise.
Teams
Pakistan Squad
Babar Azam (c), Shadab Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Mohammad Rizwan, Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Salman Ali Agha, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Wasim.
New Zealand Squad
Kane Williamson (c), Trent Boult, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitch Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Will Young.
Get the latest cricket news here, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more such updates.