PAK vs NZ : Babar Azam’s Pakistan Start Favorites Against New Zealand in a 5 match home series.

Pakistan (PAK) and New Zealand (NZ) will square off in the first T20I of the five-game series on April 18, Thursday. Three months ago, Pakistan visited New Zealand and were thoroughly defeated by the Kiwis on their home turf. With Babar Azam being re-appointed as the white-ball captain, the hosts will be hoping for a change in their fortunes. They will be aiming to turn the tables and thrash the New Zealand team in their backyard this time around.

PAK vs NZ Head to Head

PAK vs NZ  Pitch conditions

The Pindi stadium is known for its flat pitches, which tend to produce high-scoring matches. The wickets at this ground also provide good bounce, which benefits the fast bowlers early in the matches and the slower bowlers as the game progresses. However, during the recent Pakistan Super League (PSL) tournament, the pitch conditions were more varied, with a mix of wicket types on offer. The team that wins the toss will look to bowl first.

PAK vs NZ  Team News and Analysis

Pakistan and New Zealand face off in five-match series which features Babar’s return as captain and Wasim and Amir coming back to international cricket.

New Zealand team analysis.

There’s no point pretending New Zealand have sent the best they can offer, because the majority of their first team is currently over in India for the IPL. But it was the same last year, when a Tom Latham-led side played five T20Is and five ODIs in Pakistan, walking away with a creditable 2-2 draw in the shortest format.

The squad they sent this time, though, is both weaker and yet braver, which should make it an exciting series. Allrounder Michael Bracewell will captain the side as he makes his return to international cricket. The relative experience of Latham, Chad Bowes and Dane Cleaver has been done away with, with the more explosive Josh Clarkson and Dean Foxcroft (once of Lahore Qalandars) picked for the tour.

There is, admittedly, a Super Smash feel to a squad where Finn Allen and Adam Milne’s unavailability threaten to further tilt the balance away from the visitors.

Pakistan team analysis.

A glance at the Pakistan squad will tell you they are strong on paper. They are coming off a PSL season and have selected a squad based on form, with Imad Wasim and Mohammad Amir returning to the international fold, while Naseem Shah is looking back to his best after a long-term injury.

Babar Azam was among the runs yet again, and Saim Ayub – perhaps the brightest spark in a 4-1 series loss in New Zealand – has seen his stocks continue to rise. Shadab Khan was the PSL’s player of the tournament, and Abrar Ahmed is once more injury-free. There are even signs of Shaheen Shah Afridi cranking it up closer to his pre-injury speeds, with Haris Rauf the only frontline injury absence at present.

But Pakistan are not a clinical, ruthless side, and many of these things were said 12 months ago, too. Their reputation of playing up, or down, to their opponents’ level is well deserved, and consistency has continued to prove elusive. The Rawalpindi Cricket Ground is not quite Eden Park in terms of its diminutive boundaries, but it’s still prone to huge scores, which could perhaps neutralize some of the advantages Pakistan carry in batting and bowling firepower.

There’s also the matter of what goals to set for this series; T20I bilateral trophies are arguably the least prestigious silverware in cricket, and this particular series is especially so. Pakistan head coach Azhar Mahmood suggested not even captain Babar was inoculated from being rotated, which suggests Pakistan have one eye on the T20 World Cup in June.

Pakistan Team internal turmoil to have effect of the series.

For Pakistan, rest, rotation and experimentation in this format essentially boil down to a tedious, repetitive discussion of what to do about the top order, how to fit both Mohammad Rizwan and Babar in, and whether their strike rates are up to elite standards. The Rawalpindi Cricket Ground is due for a paint job ahead of next year’s Champions Trophy, and one suspects most would rather watch it dry than read another rehashed version of that debate, so we’ll move on from it as expediently as possible.

Pakistan did take Haseebullah to New Zealand as a wildcard in their top order, playing him in one match before, in their infinite wisdom, dropping him from the squad altogether. Mohammad Haris, who was “rested” from that tour despite being a single-format player, has apparently not quite recuperated, so he won’t feature either. Instead, the switching of Usman Khan’s allegiance from the UAE to Pakistan after a successful PSL has seen him called up post-haste, though where Pakistan try and squeeze him in remains a point of intrigue.

But no Pakistan discussion is complete without off-field shenanigans, and even a New Zealand side who just played this team in their backyard three months ago will realize they are far from being caught up. In that time, team director Mohammad Hafeez has been dispensed with, along with the bulk of his coaching staff. There’s a new board chairman in town in Mohsin Naqvi, who couldn’t have been less subtle about his lack of support for Afridi as captain, sacking him and bringing Babar back in a manner that left Afridi thoroughly unimpressed.

Wahab Riaz is no longer the chief selector; he is instead part of a seven-member selection committee that does not have a leader. He is also the senior team manager alongside, of course, a regular team manager, and another selector, Mohammad Yousaf, is also the batting coach. The data analyst is Bilal Afzal, whose job immediately before this was the Minister of Environment Protection, Forest, Wildlife and Fisheries.

PAK vs NZ Predicted Playing XIs:

Pakistan:

Babar Azam (c), Saim Ayub, Azam Khan (WK), Fakhar Zaman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Amir, Naseem Shah, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi

New Zealand:

Michael Bracewell (c), Finn Allen, Mark Chapman, Tom Blundell (WK), Jacob Duffy, Ben Lister, Jimmy Neesham, Ben Sears, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi, Adam Milne

Pak vs NZ Fantasy XI : Tim Seifert, Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam, Mark Chapman, Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub,James Neesham, M Bracewell, Shadab Khan, Ish Sodhi, Naseem Shah

PAK vs NZ Probable Best Performers

Probable Best Batter:

Babar Azam: He could be the best batter in the first T20I against New Zealand. The star batter will be confident once again with the bat when he comes out to play against an in-experienced New Zealand bowling line-up. Azam was the highest-run scorer in the PSL 2024 which concluded last month. He scored 569 runs in 11 innings.

Probable Best Bowler: Shaheen Afridi

Shaheen Afridi: He could emerge as the best bowler in the upcoming clash against the Kiwis. Afridi who had a decent PSL will be looking to put past results behind him and will once again come hard at the batters and provide his side wickets early in the innings.

Pak vs NZ Match Prediction.

Scenario 1

Pakistan win the toss and opt to bowl

Powerplay score: 50-60

First innings score: 180-190

Pakistan win the match

Scenario 2

New Zealand win the toss and opt to bowl

Powerplay score: 40-50

First innings score: 170-180

Pakistan win the match

In short, a lot is going on with Pakistan, and expecting what’s happening off-field not to impact the cricket is the ultimate form of optimism. And perhaps New Zealand, who have lost just one of the five series they have played Pakistan in over the past 18 months, don’t just understand that glorious chaos, but have also found an ability to tame it.

Also Read: IND vs ENG: “Side Arm Specialists In India Need To Work Hard To Prepare Batters For Tough Times”- Abhishek Jain Gives His Invaluable Insights