Pakistan (Playing XI): Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (w/c), Salman Agha, Tayyab Tahir, Khushdil Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed
New Zealand (Playing XI): Devon Conway, Will Young, Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (wk), Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner(c), Nathan Smith, Matt Henry, William O’Rourke
Also Read: Champions Trophy: Mohammed Rizwan lists key factors to win New Zealand fixture
Pakistan captain Rizwan said that the dew factor is an important one to consider and also acknowledged the pressure thsat comes with being the defending champions of the tournament, having won the competition back in 2017. Haris Rauf, too, has entered the playing XI, after concerns over his participation in the tournament owing to his side strain.
“We will bowl first. Seen the last couple of matches dew comes in later, so want to maximise on that. We are the defending champions so will be in a bit more pressure, but we will treat it like the previous tri-series. Playing in Pakistan will be great as well. Haris Rauf is fit again so he’s back in,” he said.
Pakistan and New Zealand will hope to commence their campaign on a strong note, before they go on to respectively play India in Dubai on February 23 and March 2 respectively.
First Published: Feb 19, 2025 2:06 PM IST
