New Zealand's Will Young celebrates after scoring fifty during the ICC Champions Trophy cricket match between Pakistan and New Zealand, in Karachi, Pakistan Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)
New Zealand’s Will Young became the first centurion of the 2025 edition of the Champions Trophy as he kept the Pakistan bowlers at bay in the opening match in Karachi on Wednesday. The Kiwi batter took 107 deliveries to reach his 100 in an innings peppered with 11 fours and 1 six.
Young survived nervy moments before crossing past the century mark, particularly when there was a run out shout against him when he was on 87. But the replays showed he had crossed the crease comfortably. Then again, when he was on 99, he was out of his crease at the non-striker’s end when the throw missed the stumps, much to his relief.
Young was a stabilising force for the Black Caps, when they lost three wickets early. Two of those wickets — New Zealand’s first two, Devon Conway and Kane Williamson — fell in the span of five deliveries. Young probably would have sat this one out if Rachin Ravindra had been fit.
Earlier, Pakistan’s 29-year wait to host a major International Cricket Council tournament ended on Wednesday when it won the toss and elected to field in the Champions Trophy opener against New Zealand.
Pakistan is the defending champion after beating archrival India in the final when the Champions Trophy was last played in 2017.
The 1996 World Cup, co-hosted with India and Sri Lanka, was the last time Pakistan staged a major ICC event.
New Zealand is on a high and is quite familiar with the conditions at the newly upgraded Karachi stadium after winning the tri-nation series last week against Pakistan and South Africa.
Despite losing two frontline fast bowlers, Lockie Ferguson and Ben Sears, due to injuries, New Zealand has shaped up well for the Champions Trophy with all the top-order batters among runs. And the Black Caps spinners, led by Mitchell Santner’s left-arm spin, have contained the opposition well in the middle overs.
New Zealand also missed opening batter Rachin Ravindra for the opening game as the left-hander is still recovering from a blow on the forehead sustained during the tri-nation series opener at Lahore — one of the three cities hosting the Champions Trophy in Pakistan.
Pakistan fast bowler Haris Rauf, who missed the last two games of the tri-nation series because of a side strain, passed a fitness test and was recalled in place of allrounder Faheem Ashraf.
New Zealand, which won the inaugural edition of the tournament in 1998, has won all its previous three Champions Trophy games against Pakistan in 2000, 2006 and 2009.
(With agency inputs)
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