Pak vs NZ: What would be Pakistan’s strategy for 1st ODI?

By
Abdul Mohi Shah
|

First ODI between Pakistan and New Zealand  will be played at the Pindi Cricket Stadium on Friday. Photo: file
First ODI between Pakistan and New Zealand  will be played at the Pindi Cricket Stadium on Friday. Photo: file 
  • To go with three spinners and two seamers will never be a good option, says a curator at the Pindi Stadium.
  • Three pacers — Shaheen Shah Afridi, Hasan Ali and Haris Rauf — are expected to take the field as seam options. 
  • Captain Babar Azam was given all the powers to finalise 12-member probables list for the opener.


RAWALPINDI: At least two wrist-spinners from Pakistan’s side will be seen bowing against New Zealand in the opening One-Day International scheduled to be played at the Pindi Cricket Stadium on Friday, The News reported.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced a 12-player squad for the first ODI against the Black Caps.

Apart from vice-captain Shadab Khan, Usman Qadir and Zahid Mehmood have been included in the probables’ list for the match.

At least one more wrist-spinner apart from Shadab will be seen in action on Friday. However, one cannot even rule out the inclusion of all the three wrist-spinners in the series opener but that largely depends on the condition of the wicket in the day-night match.

Pitch report

A curator at the Pindi Stadium said, “The pitch will be dry to start with as well as helpful for the spinners but you never know in a day-night game what would be there. Seamers’ role becomes all the more important under the lights under these heavy conditions. So, to go with three spinners and two seamers will never be a good option.”

The likely option will be three seamers and two wrist-spinners for the Pakistan team, meaning one of the wrist-spinners from Usman and Zahid will be the 12th man, he added.

Three pacers — Shaheen Shah Afridi, Hasan Ali and Haris Rauf — are expected to take the field as seam options. There was no room for Abdullah Shafiq, Wasim Junior, Shahnawaz Dhani or Faheem Ashraf in the playing XI for the opening One-Dayer.

“It is a three-match series and we may see some changes for the next two matches. At the moment, we see that these 12 are the best for the series opener,” a team official said.

Pakistan played a scenario-based practice match at the Pindi Stadium Wednesday with all the batsmen selected in the 12-member team were seen batting and all bowlers were given an opportunity to bowl. The practice match saw around 45 overs of action going into the Wednesday evening.

‘Babar Azam empowered to decide final IX’

Captain Babar Azam was given all the powers to finalise the 12-member squad for the opener.

“Babar has all the powers to shortlist names and then to name the playing XI,” a PCB official said.

New Zealand team members, however, had an off day Wednesday as the team members preferred staying in hotel rooms and around the areas especially meant for them.

The first match between the two teams will be played at the Pindi Cricket Stadium on Friday, at 2:30pm.

1st ODI squad

Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imamul Haq, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Saud Shakil, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Qadir and Zahid Mehmood.

PCB chief ‘extremely unhappy’ over DRS mishap

Earlier on September 15, the newly elected chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Ramiz Raja was reportedly angry over the board's failure to acquire the Decision Review System (DRS) for the New Zealand series.

The PCB will have to suffer financial losses due to the DRS's non-availability during the highly anticipated series between both countries.

The PCB had announced last week that the upcoming series would not feature the DRS as the ICC-approved operators were not available during the Pakistan-New Zealand series.

Per details, the PCB’s Commercial Department was responsible for signing the contract with the crew but arrangements were not made in time, leaving the board red-faced.