The Champions Trophy kicks off with Pakistan facing New Zealand, both teams familiar with each other’s strengths and weaknesses. Pakistan, the defending champions, got a confidence boost from recent performances, while New Zealand’s solid spin attack poses a challenge. Key players include Babar Azam, who aims for a significant score after 21 innings without a hundred, and spinners Mitchell Santner and Michael Bracewell. Karachi’s pitch has shown to favor batters with some assistance for bowlers. Both teams have unique experiences and expectations as they meet again in a highly anticipated tournament opener.
Overview: Pakistan vs New Zealand (once more)
We find ourselves in an era where ODIs are often overlooked, overshadowed by their elder sibling, Test cricket, which demands immediate respect due to its legacy, while the shorter formats cry for attention, making a ruckus in the background. Nonetheless, the ODI format proves its allure during global tournaments. The last two ODI World Cups were filled with thrilling matches, showcasing a myriad of skills that this format can deftly intertwine.
Considering the scarce ODI games we’ve witnessed in the past year and a half, our desire for this format should be at an all-time high, despite the Champions Trophy’s somewhat awkward placement in the international calendar. A lot has transpired since Sarfaraz Ahmed raised this trophy eight years ago, enough for many to forget its existence, but here we are again, welcoming its return.
Starting the tournament are Pakistan, the defending champions and (co-)hosts, who will take on familiar rivals in this opening match. Since the beginning of 2019, no visiting team has played more ODIs in Pakistan than New Zealand, with 11 matches played. They kick off this Champions Trophy just five days after overcoming Pakistan in the final of an ODI tri-series, which was held in Karachi and will host this contest as well.
It’s notable that both teams finished fourth and fifth in the league stages of the 2019 and 2023 World Cups, with Pakistan claiming victory in their head-to-head encounters. This reflects two teams that embody tantalizing strengths fit for title contention as well as flaws that could hinder their pursuit, making it a fitting matchup to start the series.
Recent Form
Pakistan LWLWW (last five completed ODIs, most recent first) New Zealand WWWLW
Key Player
Babar Azam has gone 21 innings without an ODI century; while this is relatively normal for most batsmen, it’s not the case for him. This stretch has included only two single-digit scores, indicating he hasn’t been struggling drastically. A substantial performance from Babar at the onset of this global event on home soil would undoubtedly uplift Pakistan’s spirits. Now batting at the top order instead of No. 3, a significant score from him would also alleviate any concerns regarding the team’s batting lineup.
In the recent tri-series, New Zealand’s spin bowlers achieved a remarkable combined economy rate of 4.41, especially when compared to their counterparts from Pakistan and South Africa, who recorded 5.67 and 5.94. This achievement speaks volumes about the prowess of Mitchell Santner and Michael Bracewell, who both acquired five wickets in the tri-series, maintaining almost identical averages and economy rates. Together, they present one of the most formidable spin duos in this tournament—a left-arm finger spinner and an offspinner, both adept with the bat as well.
Team News: Rauf Returns for Pakistan
After missing the recent ODI tri-series due to a side strain sustained during the first match against New Zealand, Haris Rauf has been practicing in the nets leading up to the Champions Trophy. Pakistan’s captain, Mohammad Rizwan, is optimistic about his match fitness for the tournament opener, enabling the team to select a full-strength XI.
Pakistan (possible): 1 Fakhar Zaman, 2 Babar Azam, 3 Saud Shakeel, 4 Mohammad Rizwan (capt & wk), 5 Salman Agha, 6 Tayyab Tahir, 7 Khushdil Shah, 8 Shaheen Shah Afridi, 9 Naseem Shah, 10 Haris Rauf, 11 Abrar Ahmed.
New Zealand heads into the Champions Trophy missing some of their original fast-bowling selections, including Lockie Ferguson and Ben Sears. There are also questions about Rachin Ravindra’s fitness, as he has not played since taking a blow to the head while fielding in the tri-series opener. However, Ravindra has been training with the bat leading up to this tournament. New Zealand will decide on his participation after Tuesday’s training session, with Will Young likely to take his spot as the opener alongside Devon Conway if Ravindra is not fit. Kyle Jamieson, replacing Ferguson, won’t be available in time for the first match in Karachi.
New Zealand: 1 Rachin Ravindra/Will Young, 2 Devon Conway, 3 Kane Williamson, 4 Daryl Mitchell, 5 Tom Latham (wk), 6 Glenn Phillips, 7 Michael Bracewell, 8 Mitchell Santner (capt), 9 Matt Henry, 10 Jacob Duffy, 11 Will O’Rourke.
Pitch and Conditions
Karachi hosted the final two matches of the tri-series, exhibiting two contrasting contests. On February 12, South Africa set a record total of 352, the highest ever at this venue. However, that mark was soon surpassed as Pakistan successfully chased it down, finishing with an entire over to spare. In the subsequent match, Will O’Rourke claimed four wickets while Santner delivered an outstanding performance with figures of 2 for 20 in ten overs, leading to Pakistan being bowled out for 242, a target that New Zealand achieved comfortably with five wickets in hand and 28 balls left.
What sort of pitch will the National Stadium provide on Wednesday? Recent data implies that ODIs at this venue have been beneficial for fast bowlers, reflected in their average of 33.67 and an economy rate of 6.02 over the past decade. While spinners have also faced difficulties at Lahore, Karachi typically offers them a slightly forgiving environment, with spinners averaging 45.50 and a lower economy rate of 5.11.
Trends from previous global tournaments suggest that pitches have favored batters while providing enough assistance for bowlers: the last three ICC ODI events showed overall run rates of 5.54, 5.59, and 5.82.
Weather forecasts indicate that Wednesday in Karachi is expected to be warm, hitting a high of 29 degrees Celsius, with little to no chance of rain.
Stats and Trivia
New Zealand (2000) and Pakistan (2017) both secured Champions Trophy victories by defeating India in the final.
New Zealand has faced Pakistan 11 times in ODIs since the beginning of 2023, with the results closely matched. New Zealand has won five, while Pakistan has won six, with New Zealand winning three of their last four encounters.
Daryl Mitchell holds the best batting average (50.42) among the 47 New Zealand players who have scored 1000 ODI runs. His strike rate of 97.89 is also noteworthy, particularly as all five players ahead of him on that list have averages below 30.
Among the bowlers in this tournament, Shaheen Shah Afridi (21 at 22.04) is the leading wicket-taker in ODIs since the conclusion of the 2023 World Cup.
Babar, Fakhar Zaman, and Faheem Ashraf are the only members of the Pakistan squad who participated in their victorious 2017 campaign.
Quotes
“They are all on equal footing, whether someone is a veteran or a newcomer. Senior players carry more pressure, and we hold ourselves accountable for performing during pivotal moments, and this occasion is one of the biggest.” Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan
“Being familiar with the conditions we’re facing offers an advantage. We’ve been fortunate to have spent a couple of weeks here and played in Pakistan extensively over the last three years.” New Zealand keeper-batter Tom Latham
Karthik Krishnaswamy is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo
