Pakistan Playing 11 vs New Zealand

Pakistan will be eyeing a winning start to their campaign when they take on New Zealand in the first match of the ODI tri-series. Apart from New Zealand and Pakistan, South Africa are also featuring in the series.

The Pakistan vs New Zealand match is scheduled to be played on Saturday (February 8) at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. With the series to be played on a single-league basis, each match is of huge importance. The teams cannot afford any slipup and both the teams will be keen to start the series on a winning note.

So, as New Zealand and Pakistan gear up for the upcoming game, we are taking a look at the Pakistan Playing 11.

Pakistan Playing 11 vs New Zealand – 1st ODI, Pakistan ODI tri-series 2025:

Openers: Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam

With Saim Ayub injured and Abdullah Shafique dropped, Pakistan are likely to have a new opening pair for the upcoming game. Fakhar Zaman and Babar Azam are likely to be the openers in the Pakistan Playing 11 and the onus will be on the senior duo to give their team a good start.

They are also expected to open the innings for Pakistan in the Champions Trophy and will be keen to regain their top form soon. Fakhar will be playing an ODI for the first time since the 2023 World Cup and will be looking to hit the ground running.

On the other hand, Babar recently failed to impress in the two home Tests against West Indies and will look to bounce back.

Middle-order batsmen and allrounders: Mohammad Rizwan (c), Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Salman Agha, Tayyab Tahir

Captain Mohammad Rizwan would be looking to lead the team from the front. After guiding Pakistan to famous ODI series wins in Pakistan and South Africa in recent times, Rizwan will be keen to extend his fine start as the captain.

While Kamran Ghulam could not impress against West Indies, he made an impact in South Africa. He will be looking to start the series on a good note. Saud Shakeel has been in good touch in Tests in recent times and would be hoping to perform in the same manner in ODIs too. Tayyab Tahir is another batting option in the Pakistan middle-order.

Salman Agha is expected to be the leading allrounder in the Pakistan Playing 11. With pitches in Pakistan likely to assist spinners, Agha could make a big impact with his handy off-spin. He has also played several crucial knocks at home in recent times and will be keen to perform well with the bat against New Zealand as well.

Bowlers: Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed

Pakistan are likely to play the game with three frontline pacers and one pacer. Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Naseem Shah have been the preferred pace trio in the Pakistan Playing 11 while Abrar Ahmed is expected to be the the frontline spinner of the team.