Christchurch, Mar 15 (UNI) With the ICC Champions Trophy in the past and the Indian Premier League about to begin, the start of this New Zealand versus Pakistan T20 series will capture the imagination of top-level cricket-hungry fans across the globe.
Beginning on Sunday afternoon at Hagley Oval here, this game will be well attended with supporters of both sides likely to be making themselves heard. Both teams will not be at their strongest, with players either making themselves unavailable for the series, resting, or in the case of some New Zealanders, raring to go in the IPL.
As a result, plenty of players have the opportunity to make a name and enjoy the spotlight. This opener will not decide the series but could set up some individuals for an excellent couple of weeks.
Any Pakistan side without Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam is one which will not look as strong on paper.
And that is certainly the case for this Pakistan team in this opening T20I.
Without the big names, there is an opportunity for the likes of Usman Khan to show off his attacking batting skills as well as his talents behind the stumps with the gloves.
Salman Agha will captain the side and has a strong record across all formats of late. He will be assisted by vice-captain Shadab Khan, who can be inconsistent but is also a match-winner on his day.
Pakistan's strongest suit in this game will undoubtedly be in their bowling attack. Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf both have experience and all the skills and will fancy their chances against this New Zealand top order.
The forecast is for an excellent day in Christchurch throughout Sunday afternoon and into the early evening. Expect the temperature to peak at 27 degrees Celsius.
The pitch in Christchurch can sometimes be a little green at the start of multi-day games, but we expect to see a dry and bare surface for this game. A par score is likely to be approaching 200.
With six of the last eight T20I games in Christchurch won by the team chasing, expectations are that both captains would prefer bowling first if they win the toss.
Squads:
New Zealand Squad: Tim Robinson, Tim Seifert(w), Finn Allen, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Michael Bracewell(c), Ish Sodhi, Jacob Duffy, Ben Sears, Kyle Jamieson, William ORourke, Mitchell Hay
Pakistan Squad: Omair Yousuf, Usman Khan(w), Abdul Samad, Mohammad Haris, Khushdil Shah, Salman Agha(c), Irfan Khan, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Sufiyan Muqeem, Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Jahandad Khan
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