PAK vs NZ 1st Match Prediction

PAK vs NZ Team Previews

Pakistan

Pakistan has undergone a lot of changes off the field and a complete change in leadership has resulted in some past players being recalled. This kind of turmoil is not new for Pakistan cricket and it should not impact how bettors think about their performances on the field. 

If anything, Pakistan thrives in this kind of chaos!

The batting lineup for Pakistan is quite strong. They have Saim Ayub, Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and Fakhar Zaman as potential top-order players. All four of these players prefer opening the batting and so it will be interesting to see how Pakistan approaches this. 

We expect Saim Ayub and Babar Azam to open the batting pushing down Rizwan and Fakhar Zaman. 

Usman Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Azam Khan, and Shadab Khan add a lot of depth to the lineup as well. In home conditions, Pakistan can easily play with a lineup that bats till number 9 with two genuine bowlers in there as well. This should allow them to attack from the start and look for big runs.

Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Amir, and Naseem Shah will be the fast bowlers of choice while the two all-rounders, Imad Wasim and Shadab Khan, might be the two spin-bowling options. This is a very strong bowling lineup with quality across the ranks. 

Saim Ayub as a part time bowler should not be underestimated either. 

New Zealand

New Zealand is playing this series without most of its first-choice players. However, the Kiwi's are not going to use that as an excuse. They will make the best of what they have and come hard at the Pakistanis. New Zealand is being led by Michael Bracewell for this series. 

He is going to be a part of an aggressive batting lineup that will also feature Mark Chapman, Josh Clarkson, Jimmy Neesham, and Tim Seifert. These are all players that have been around the T20 game for a long time and have played in a number of countries across the world. 

The strength of New Zealand cricket has always been the ability of its players to perform above expectations. Most of their batters can bowl and most of their bowlers can bat. This will give them a lot of flexibility. Quality wise, though, we think New Zealand will be stretched beyond its means. 

The conditions in Pakistan do not suit its bowlers and the batting lineup that New Zealand has is a definite step below what Pakistan has at its disposal. New Zealand may be able to fight or even dominate Pakistan for short stretches but putting together a complete performance to win against Pakistan at home is unlikely.