Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan back to bolster Pakistan ahead of ODI series
The T20I series is over, and it is time to move to the longer format of the white-ball game as the Kiwis host Pakistan in a three-match series.
The T20I series was very one sided with the Black Caps sailing to a 4-1 win against a very inexperienced Pakistan outfit. T20 is by its nature a high-risk game and Pakistan really took it to extremes and threw caution to the wind. Unfortunately, they were hopelessly outgunned. Probably the best example of their hit-and-miss approach was in the batting of opener Hasan Nawaz who made scores of 0, 0, 105*, 1, 0.
Pakistan have bolstered their line-up for the ODI series with the arrival of players like skipper Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam. Their arrival should add a bit more steel to the Pakistan resistance.
The two sides have seen plenty of each other in recent times. They faced each other in the tri-angular warm-up series before the ICC Champions Trophy. New Zealand won both games in that competition and then won again when they faced Pakistan in the tournament opener.
New Zealand vs Pakistan | 1st T20I | Saturday 29 March 2025 | McLean Park, Napier | 12:00am
Venue: McLean Park, Napier
New Zealand have played 43 ODIs at McLean Park and they have won 25 of them. That’s a win rate of 58.13%
Pakistan have played at the venue seven times, winning just twice – 28%. Their last game at the venue was in 2015 and it was a solid win over the UAE.
Winning the toss and fielding is the norm at the venue. It has happened in 26 out of 45 games at the venue. In turn the winning rate when batting second is 25 out of 45 (55.55%)
The ground has seen two matches end in ties while there was also one no result.
Weather:
It’s shaping up to be a perfect summer’s day. Almost no wind in the morning developing into a mild breeze in the afternoon. Temperatures in the mid-twenties and no rain. Ideal scenario for cricket.
Recent form (most recent game first):
New Zealand: L, W, L, W, W.
Pakistan: A, L, L, L, W.
Key player:
New Zealand, Daryl Mitchell: New Zealand are missing plenty of their regular white-ball stars who are on duty in the IPL. But they still have plenty to offer with their highest ranked batsman on the ICC list, Daryl Mitchell firmly in the mix. Mitchell is currently ranked sixth by the ICC and he comes into the series with an ODI average of 48.82 at a strike rate of just under 100. He wasn’t full of runs in the T20I series, but his chances were limited given the performance of those higher up the order. With the likes of Kane Williamson, Rachin Ravindra, Devon Conway and others absent, this is Mitchell’s chance to establish himself as the main man.
Pakistan, Babar Azam: Babar is the big fish for Pakistan. In a country that has produced countless world-class batters Babar is one of the very best. In 23 games against the Black Caps, he has scored 1009 runs with a high score of 107 and an average of 48.04. That is a very impressive set of results and there are not many Pakistan batsmen who can claim to have done better. He hasn’t been in his very best ODI form in recent times, but he is still the second ranked ODI batsman in the world, behind on Shubman Gill. If anyone can get Pakistan back onto the winning track it is Babar Azam.
Verdict: New Zealand
This game should be a little less one-sided than those in the recent T20I series, but New Zealand should still have too much. Home ground advantage, momentum and psychology all play a part. The arrival of Babar Azam and Rizwan will undoubtedly give Pakistan a lift, but it won’t be enough. The Kiwi bowlers have been very good and that is unlikely to change in Napier.
