New Zealand and Pakistan will face each other in the first One-Day International match of the tour on March 29, 2025. The match is scheduled to take place at McLean Park in Napier, with kick-off scheduled for 3:00 am PST.

The inaugural One-Day International (ODI) between Pakistan and New Zealand will be on March 29, 2025, at McLean Park, Napier.

Pakistan has been resilient in the T20 series, registering only one win out of five matches after a poor beginning. Their recent success in the third T20I highlighted the team's potential due to excellent performances by their lead players. Skipper Mohammad Rizwan will be the deciding factor for Pakistan's batting line-up, along with successful batsmen like Babar Azam and Imam-ul-Haq. They need to be consistent, though, and make the most of the lost momentum in the T20 games.

The Black Caps come into this ODI series with optimism after their solid performance in the T20. They dominated some of the games, especially through their bowling skills, with some players like Kyle Jamieson contributing a great deal. Michael Bracewell's New Zealand will be hoping to take advantage of their home support and continue their winning run against Pakistan.

Match Preview

New Zealand

New Zealand has been doing well in cricket lately. They were one of the top sides in the recent Champions Trophy, making it to the final, and then produced a brilliant effort against Pakistan in the T20 series.

But with injuries and the IPL scheduled, the team will have to be at its peak to win its first match. Just eight players from the squad that made it to the Champions Trophy final have been picked for this series. Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra are featuring in the IPL, while Kane Williamson, Matthew Henry, Kyle Jamieson, and Mitchell Santner are out with injury and workload. This has provided the selectors with an incentive to try out some of their most talented players.

Muhammad Abbas and Nick Kelly have received their first international summons due to exceptional performances in the local competition. Kelly will be opening the batting with Will Young, while Abbas is a dependable middle-order batsman.

The other batsmen are Daryl Mitchell, Mark Chapman, Mitchell Hay, and Tom Latham. William O'Rourke will be at the helm of the pace unit along with Jacob Duffy and Ben Sears, and Adithya Ashok, who has turned out in only a single T20I, will head the spin unit.

Pakistan

Pakistan's problems on the cricket pitch do not seem to have any end in sight. Following the humiliating exit from the Champions Trophy, the team also lost the T20 series against the Black Caps by 4-1. The team is now hoping to bounce back and start anew in the ODI series.

Mohammad Rizwan will become the new keeper to replace Salman Agha, who maintains a spot in the all-round column. Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, and Imam ul Haq are back in the side and augment the batting arsenal.

Middle order is going to be boosted by Khushdil Shah and Faheem Ashraf, both high-caliber all-rounders adept at both the bat and ball.

In the bowling, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf, who have played in the T20 series, have been omitted from the team, and Naseem Shah is being recalled. Mohammad Wasim Jr. will accompany him. Pakistan has also recalled young players Akif Javed and Mohammad Ali, both of whom have not played an ODI yet.

Sufiyan Muqeem and Abrar Ahmed are holding their spots as spinners.

Pitch Report

The pitch at Napier is usually quite balanced, giving both batsmen and bowlers a fair shot. The average first innings score hovers around 224. Early on, seamers can expect some movement, especially with a fresh ball. But once the batsmen find their rhythm, they’ll look to unleash their shots.

Toss Prediction

Interestingly, seven out of the last ten ODIs in Napier have been won by the chasing team. Plus, in seven of those ten matches, the team that won the toss opted to bowl first. So, we anticipate that the captain who wins the toss will probably choose to bowl first.

Weather Report

Napier is expected to have a 15% chance of precipitation, with partly cloudy skies and highs of 19 degrees Celsius.

Head to Head

The two teams have met in 119 matches so far. Pakistan holds a narrow lead with 61 wins, New Zealand with 54. Three matches ended in a draw, and one ended in a draw.

Venue Details

Napier has always been one of those venues where scoring tends to be pretty manageable. The favorable playing conditions should help the top batsmen shine throughout the innings, but we still think New Zealand will come out on top!

Match Prediction

Pakistan should be strengthened by the return of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan. However, they will have to perform at their best throughout the series to win. Our prediction:

We're backing a New Zealand victory!

Betting Tips

We’re leaning towards a New Zealand win. They’ve been consistent in the T20 series and come here brimming with confidence. That said, Pakistan has bolstered their squad with some seasoned players and is likely to perform better in the 50-over format. New Zealand boasts a winning percentage of 64% against Pakistan when playing at home.

Bet on New Zealand.

Probable Playing XI

New Zealand Playing XI

Mitchell Hay (wk), Henry Nicholls, Daryl Mitchell, Nathan Smith, Mark Chapman, Michael Bracewell (c), Muhammad Abbas, Ben Sears, Will O'Rourke, Jacob Duffy, Adithya Ashok.

Pakistan Playing XI

 Mohammad Rizwan (wk) (c), Babar Azam, Salman Agha, Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Khushdil Shah, Tayyab Tahir, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Wasim, Mohammad Ali, Sufiyan Muqeem.

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New Zealand Key Players

Mark Chapman was earlier among the top scorers of New Zealand in the T20I series, scoring 122 runs in four innings with a best of 94. But in the latest ODI series against Sri Lanka, Chapman proved to be the most successful batsman, scoring 172 runs in three innings at an average of 86.00.

Jacob Duffy was New Zealand's highest wicket-taker in the last T20I series against Pakistan, with 13 wickets from five innings at an average of 8.38.

Daryl Mitchell One of New Zealand's finest ODI cricketers who can be a run-scorer in the Test format when it is most needed by his team.

Pakistan Key Players

Salman Agha was Pakistan's sole main batsman throughout the T20I series. He made 167 runs from five innings with an average of 41.75. He was also the top run-getter for his team in the Tri-Nation Series with 219 runs in three innings, including a century.

Abrar Ahmed was Pakistan's second-highest wicket-taker with five wickets in three innings at 19.80 average. He has been a consistent bowler for the team and is likely to be the leader in the next match too.

Sufiyan Muqeem He is an excellent spin bowler who proved his worth in the last T20I match of the recently concluded five-match series. He is likely to be among the wickets in the coming matches too.