Last Updated: April 27, 2023, 4:55 PM IST
Follow PAK vs NZ live score from 1st ODI. (AP Photo)
Follow Pakistan vs New Zealand 2023 live cricket score and ball by ball commentary from the 1st ODI in Rawalpindi
Pakistan skipper Babar Azam won the toss and opted to bowl Thursday in the first one-day international against New Zealand in Rawalpindi.
Pakistan were hit by an injury to middle-order batter Haris Sohail, who hurt his shoulder during training Wednesday and was ruled out of the match.
PAK vs NZ, 1st ODI: Scorecard | Commentary
New Zealand included Mark Chapman in their eleven following his prolific form in the preceding five-match Twenty20 series, which ended in a 2-2 stalemate with one match rained off.
The remaining matches of the five-game ODI series are in Rawalpindi on Saturday, and Karachi on May 3, 5 and 7.
“Mark Chapman has been in fantastic form throughout that T20 series,” Latham said of the middle-order batter on match eve. “The way he played not only in that last game but also the game beforehand, it’s obviously great that we can we can include him in the squad as well.”
Latham isn’t thinking about World Cup yet.
“We’re trying to not look too far ahead. There’s a World Cup coming up in a few months, but if we look too far ahead, we’ll probably lose focus of the job at hand here over the next two weeks. So we’re looking forward to the challenge and hopefully, we can play well,” he said.
Azam says the series gives them a chance to fine tune their preparations.
“Each and every match that we play from now on holds a great significance for us,” Azam said. “This series is a brilliant opportunity for us to fine-tune our combinations and gather the momentum ahead of the mega events.”
Playing XIs
Pakistan: Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Naseem Shah, Agha Salman, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shan Masood
New Zealand: Tom Latham (captain), Chad Bowes, Mark Chapman, Matt Henry, Adam Milne, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Rachin Ravindra, Ish Sodhi, Blair Tickner, Will Young
Umpires: Aleem Dar (PAK) and Ahsan Raza (PAK)
TV umpire: Rashid Riaz (PAK)
Match referee: Chris Broad (ENG)
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