Pakistan captain Babar Azam is not sure whether newly appointed deputy Shan Masood will walk into the playing XI for the one-day international series against New Zealand starting on Monday (January 9). “We can’t talk about any individual at the moment, whether he’s vice-captain or X, Y, Z,” Babar said on Sunday. “We will try to field our best playing XI and try to win the series.”


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The 33-year-old left-handed batter Masood was made vice-captain in place of Mohammad Rizwan, the only wicketkeeper in the 16-man squad for the three ODIs. Masood hasn’t played an ODI since 2019 when all five of his matches were against Australia in the United Arab Emirates. He scored 111 runs at an average of 22.20.



The interim selection committee headed by Shahid Afridi also recalled Haris Sohail, another left-handed batter. He has 1,685 runs in 42 ODIs, but hasn’t featured since October 2020 against Zimbabwe. Two uncapped middle-order batsmen, Tayyab Tahir and Kamran Ghulam, were picked after scoring prolifically on the domestic circuit.


Despite a poor Test season at home, Pakistan performed well in white-ball cricket. It reached the T20 World Cup final in Australia and qualified for the Twenty20 final of the Asia Cup. “We know we can carry our momentum in white-ball cricket because we are back to our strength in bowling,” Babar said.


Here’s everything you need to know about Pakistan vs New Zealand 1st ODI match:


When will the Pakistan vs New Zealand 1st ODI match start?


The Pakistan vs New Zealand 1st ODI match will start on January 9, Monday.


Where will the Pakistan vs New Zealand 1st ODI match be played?


The Pakistan vs New Zealand 1st ODI match will be hosted in National Stadium, Karachi.


What time will the Pakistan vs New Zealand 1st ODI match begin?


The Pakistan vs New Zealand 1st ODI match will begin at 3 pm IST. The toss is scheduled to take place at 2.30 pm IST.


Which TV channels will broadcast Pakistan vs New Zealand 1st ODI match?


The Pakistan vs New Zealand 1st ODI match will be televised on Sony Sports Network channels in India.


How do I watch the live streaming of the Pakistan vs New Zealand 1st ODI match?


The Pakistan vs New Zealand 1st ODI match is available to be streamed live on the SonyLiv app and website.


Pakistan vs New Zealand 1st ODI match Predicted 11


Pakistan: Babar Azam (C), Imam-ul-Haq, Agha Salman, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Sohail, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Wasim, Haris Rauf, Usama Mir


New Zealand: Kane Williamson (C), Michael Bracewell, Devon Conway, Finn Allen, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner, Tom Latham, Glenn Phillips, Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, Lockie Ferguson