NZ vs PAK Match Prediction | Final

Betting Tips

New Zealand will walk into this ODI Tri-Series Final as hot favourites after looking the part in both of their games. They have dominated Pakistan in home conditions and beaten 2023 ODI World Cup semi-finalists South Africa on their way to this match. Pakistan will be hoping to build momentum after a convincing victory over the Proteas on Wednesday.

New Zealand vs Pakistan Head-to-Head Record

The head-to-head record has become closer after New Zealand’s victory earlier in this ODI Tri-Series. In their past five matches against each other, Pakistan have won three ODIs and New Zealand have won two ODIs.

New Zealand vs Pakistan Live Streaming and Broadcast

The New Zealanders and hosts Pakistan will meet in this ODI Tri-Series Final hosted by Pakistan on Friday, 14 February 2025 at the National Stadium in Karachi. Find this match in India on the Sony Ten 5 channel and the JioTV app.

NZ vs PAK Team Previews

New Zealand

Will Young and Devon Conway form a formidable opening pair as a combination of strength and finesse to add to the composed mentality of the pair. Left-handed Conway fell three runs short of a century against the country of his birth South Africa in his previous ODI innings.

The legendary Kane Williamson anchors the innings with his masterful batting and years of international experience in the black colour of New Zealand. He compiled a superb unbeaten century against the Proteas in the team’s previous match.

All-rounder Daryl Mitchell offers versatility as someone experienced enough to adapt to the different situations that will present themselves in the middle overs of ODI cricket. He is highly dependable with an ODI batting average over 50 and an ODI batting strike rate of almost 100.

Wicketkeeper-batter Tom Latham adds depth to the batting order with his supreme style and reliability behind the stumps. Dynamic batter Glenn Phillips and the adaptable all-rounder Michael Bracewell inject energy into the middle order as two key boundary-strikers. Phillips has almost 1000 ODI runs with one century and four half-centuries in the international 50-over format.

Bracewell hit 32 runs in his first match of the Tri-Series while also taking three wickets in the two games.

Skipper Mitchell Santner leads the spin attack with his left-arm orthodox deliveries in subcontinental conditions which he will use to his benefit. The pace department is spearheaded by the experienced swing of Matt Henry.

Ben Sears and the promising Will O’Rourke provide youthful energy and speed which will be needed to scalp vital wickets. Both Henry and O’Rourke claimed two wickets to pile on the pressure against the Proteas.

New Zealand Expected Playing 11

Pakistan

In a pivotal tri-series match against South Africa earlier in the week, captain and wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan led from the front by scoring an unbeaten 122 runs. All-rounder Salman Agha complemented this effort with a stellar 134 runs. The partnership guided Pakistan to a six-wicket victory and secured their spot in this final.

The team's batting lineup is fortified by the presence of Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir and Khushdil Shah. Each batter will bring unique strengths to the table to create a batting lineup that knows how to dominate the scoreboard.

The synergy of the batting unit plus collective experience and skills will need to shine through to win silverware. Zaman gave the team a confident start with 41 runs against the Proteas in his previous ODI innings. The elegant Babar Azam is closing in on 6000 ODI runs in an ODI career of 19 centuries and 34 half-centuries. Left-hander Shakeel has three ODI half-centuries.

On the bowling front, the pace trio of Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain and Naseem Shah will be key to take wickets upfront while maintaining pressure in the middle and death overs. Left-armer Afridi claimed two wickets in his previous ODI match. 21-year-old Shah has taken two five-wicket hauls in his ODI career.

Spinner Abrar Ahmed adds mystery to the attack and will keep the opposition batters guessing. The mystery spinner took two wickets against the Black Caps first time around in the series.

Pakistan Expected Playing 11

NZ vs PAK Toss Prediction

New Zealand may be somewhat unfazed by which way the toss goes. They have won by batting first and batting second in this series. The captains’ strong bowling unit may be used in the first innings, with both skippers potentially preferring to bowl first.

Pitch and Conditions

The National Stadium pitch is renowned for its batter-friendly conditions. The surface offers consistent pace and bounce which means batting lineups should have the confidence to score boundaries regularly. In the previous ODI series at Karachi when New Zealand and Pakistan met, the average first innings total was 306.

Weather conditions in Karachi on matchday look to be superb for cricket. The teams will be greeted with a mostly sunny day with a fair amount of humidity and wind too. There is only a three percent chance of rain, which makes it almost negligible.

NZ vs PAK Betting Tips

The Black Caps could be the winners of this ODI Tri-Series after a dominant display throughout. Mitchell Santner’s tactical nous has come to the fore after the opening two games. A win in this Final will be a massive confidence booster for the team going into the ICC Champions Trophy.

Bet on New Zealand to win this match.