Pakistan and New Zealand are ready to clash in the first ODI of the three-match series in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday. The home side will enter the contest positively after whitewashing the Kiwis in the recently concluded three-match T20I series.
In their last 50-over assignment, Sarfraz Ahmed-led unit suffered a humiliating exit from the Asia Cup. In the batting department, the team will be relying on in-form Babar Azam, Mohammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik to score bulk of the runs, whereas in the bowling department, the onus will be on spin-duo of Shadab Khan and Imad Wasim to do bulk of the damage.
On the other hand, New Zealand will come into the contest desperate to turn things around after a demoralising performance in the 20-over format. In their last assignment in the ODIs, the Black Caps registered a hard-fought 3-2 defeat against England at home. In the batting department, the team will be relying on captain Kane Williamson and veteran middle-order batsman Ross Taylor to do bulk of the scoring, whereas in the bowling department, the onus will be on Tim Southee, Trent Boult and Ish Sodhi to provide major breakthroughs.
Both teams have faced off in the 50-over format in 103 matches, where the Green Caps came out on top 53 times with the Kiwis winning 47. The highest individual score of 137 was scored by legendary Inzamam Ul Haq, whereas best bowling figures of 6-16 was registered by former Pakistan fast-bowler Shoaib Akhtar.
Sheikh Zayed Stadium in
Pakistan and New Zealand are ready to clash in the first ODI of the three-match series in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday. The home side will enter the contest positively after whitewashing the Kiwis in the recently concluded three-match T20I series.
In their last 50-over assignment, Sarfraz Ahmed-led unit suffered a humiliating exit from the Asia Cup. In the batting department, the team will be relying on in-form Babar Azam, Mohammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik to score bulk of the runs, whereas in the bowling department, the onus will be on spin-duo of Shadab Khan and Imad Wasim to do bulk of the damage.
On the other hand, New Zealand will come into the contest desperate to turn things around after a demoralising performance in the 20-over format. In their last assignment in the ODIs, the Black Caps registered a hard-fought 3-2 defeat against England at home. In the batting department, the team will be relying on captain Kane Williamson and veteran middle-order batsman Ross Taylor to do bulk of the scoring, whereas in the bowling department, the onus will be on Tim Southee, Trent Boult and Ish Sodhi to provide major breakthroughs.
Both teams have faced off in the 50-over format in 103 matches, where the Green Caps came out on top 53 times with the Kiwis winning 47. The highest individual score of 137 was scored by legendary Inzamam Ul Haq, whereas best bowling figures of 6-16 was registered by former Pakistan fast-bowler Shoaib Akhtar.
Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi is a venue which has already hosted 45 ODIs. The highest team score of 313-9 in the 50-over format was registered by Pakistan in the match against Sri Lanka in 2007, whereas the lowest score of 63 was registered by Afghanistan in the match against Scotland.
Key Players:
Kane Williamson – 10.5 Cr
First in the list of key players features New Zealand captain Kane Williamson. The 28-year-old is the mainstay of the Kiwis batting lineup across all formats and the team management will be expecting similar kind of performance in the 50-over format as well. Valued at 10.5 Cr, Williamson can prove to be an excellent acquisition as he is in more than decent form with the bat as he showed in the third T20I as well. While playing in the UAE, Williamson has 346 runs to his name at a staggering average of 86.50 in ODIs.
Shoaib Malik – 9.5 Cr
Second in the list of key players features Pakistan's Shoaib Malik. The veteran all-rounder has been in great form with the bat ever since returning to the national side. During the team's last assignment in the 50-over format – Asia Cup – the 36-year-old finished as the leading run-scorer for the team and looked class apart from the rest. Valued at 9.5 Cr, Malik is the kind of player who can become a valuable asset as he is not only a brilliant batsman, but also has the ability to trouble the opposition with the ball in supportive conditions.
Babar Azam – 10 Cr
Last in the list features Pakistan's Babar Azam. The 24-year-old is in great form with the bat in white-ball cricket and will be eager to continue his good work in the ODI series as well. Valued at 10 Cr, having someone like Azam in your team can prove to be a real bonus as his record in the 50-over format speaks volumes.
