Ambitious Pakistan face-off Against Tenacious New Zealand

Even with internal strife and conflicts, cricket has remained ever keen in Pakistan as a national zeal, and an endless conveyor belt of talent continues to fuel the attractiveness of the sport.

The PCB knew better than to miss the golden opportunity of hosting the 2025 Champions Trophy, and the baton had to be passed contently. With the hosts welcoming the tournament back home, the board’s recent chiefs showed some unison by squeezing into one couch as they have already done their bit.

Security clearances are complete, the stadiums are ready, and the frostbite relationship with the BCCI has been put on pause for now. Greats of the past have been revered, the wall of fame has been opened and amidst the celebration of the national project, both of Pakistan’s cricket Shaiks – Imran Khan and Shaiza Khan – have been rather elegantly ignored which is quite ironic. Despite all of this, Imran Khan’s statement marks Pakistan’s first ICC tournament in over 29 years. The off field antics will be tossed aside for some time to focus on the team led by Mohammad Rizwan. The fans will surely get to see the captain and the coach perform their three month old positions and revel in the excitement and banter from the fans. But for a cricket loving nation like Imran Khan said, There simply is nothing less.

Rizwan reassures fans to give their best in bid to defend CT crown

New Zealand bank on Karachi familiarity ahead of Champions Trophy opener

In that bid, they have already made some notable selection decisions before the tournament and tried it out briefly against South Africa and New Zealand. Only one frontline spinner, a change in the batting order for their best batter, and two surprising choices. These changes have been normal for a while now but the most interesting one has definitely been the way they have been using their bat with so much aggression. It may not have assisted them in winning the tri-series, but it did allow them to chase down their record total, and more importantly, fuels the expectation for a glimpse into the possibilities of their cricketing prowess.

First stand in their path strong New Zealanders, a team that has bested them the last two times in the tri-series and also a team that has played 7 ODIs at that venue since the beginning of 2023. Even when all the conditions are familiar to Pakistan and their players, it is the Mitchell Santner led team that enters the contest with head-to-head form advantage and plenty of knowledge to the issues surrounding the venue.
That being said, New Zealand has their own problems to contend with after being dealt a series of injuries just days before the tournament. Lockie Ferguson and Ben Sears are out, and Rachin Ravindra has yet to return after taking a blow to the head while fielding.

Considering the format of the tournament that does not allow for mistakes or warm-ups and second chances, both teams would have hoped to be more settled in their preparations. But with the tournament here, there is no more time for changes. The curtain is raised, the stories have begun and only the actions on matchday will count.

When: Wednesday, Feb 19, 2025, 14:00 Local Time (14:30 IST)

Where: Pakistan vs New Zealand, Match 1, National Stadium, Karachi

What to look forward to: It has been a batting paradise with an average score for the first batting team being 289. Out of 19 venues that have conducted six or more ODIs since January 2023, this one is ranked second for scoring, next to Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium. But there is no clear benefit of winning the toss. In the last eight matches at the venue, teams batting first won half of the time, same as teams bowling first. For more Read Click 1xbetfair