Players of Pakistan, left, and New Zealand stand silent for their countries national anthem before start of the tri-series ODI cricket final match between Pakistan and New Zealand, in Karachi, Pakistan, Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. (AP Photo)Defending champions and hosts Pakistan take on New Zealand in the first game of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
Just before the start of the match, New Zealand were handed the bad news that Lockie Ferguson would miss the whole tournament due to an injury he picked up in the warm-up match against Afghanistan on Sunday. He will return home immediately and his place in the New Zealand squad will be taken by Kyle Jamieson, who played his most-recent one-day international in September 2023.
Pakistan, on the other hand, will be buoyed by the news that pacer Haris Rauf is fighting fit after he missed most of the tri-series at home against New Zealand and South Africa due to an injury.
Here’s a look at all the details for the PAK vs NZ clash:
The PAK vs NZ match will happen on Wednesday at 2.30 with the toss at 2 pm (IST). The match will be played at Karachi’s National Stadium. The match will be broadcast on TV on Star Sports and Network 18 channels. You can also livestream the PAK vs NZ match on JioHotstar.
Pakistan: Mohammad Rizwan (c & wk), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir, Faheem Ashraf, Khushdil Shah, Salman Ali Agha, Usman Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi.
New Zealand: Mitchell Santner (c), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Kyle Jamieson, Matt Henry, Tom Latham (wk), Daryl Mitchell, Will O’Rourke, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Nathan Smith, Kane Williamson, Will Young, Jacob Duffy.
Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (c&wk), Salman Ali Agha, Tayyab Tahir, Khushdil Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf.
Will Young, Devon Conway, Kane Williamson, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (wk), Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Nathan Smith, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson.
The pitch at Karachi’s National Stadium is expected to aid a high-scoring contest. IF the past is any indication, pacers might receive some early assistance. But as the game progresses, the surface is likely to favour batters. Spinners could find some grip on the surface when it starts deteriorating.
The weather forecast for Karachi for Wednesday predicts a bright and sunny day. Temperatures are likely to hover in the 20s, which will be ideal playing conditions for both teams.
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