Pakistan Vs New Zealand 1st ODI Match Preview

Pakistan Vs New Zealand 1st ODI  8th December 2014 – New Zealand and Pakistan embark on a five-match ODI series in conditions starkly different from those expected for the World Cup, but team combinations and momentum will be key for both sides – Cricket news from from cricket in Pakistan v New Zealand

Match facts

Monday, December 8, 2014
Start time 15:00 local (11:00 GMT)

Pakistan Vs New Zealand 1st ODI  8th December 2014

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WATCH LIVE  :- https://www.incpak.com/alerts/pakistan-vs-new-zealand-1st-odi-watch-live-streaming/ 

In the spotlight

Since the ODIs against India in January 2014, New Zealand have played just one series – against South Africa in October. Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor missed it due to injuries and will aim to get their World Cup preparations underway in earnest. Both batsmen have already scored centuries on this tour. Williamson’s 192 in the Sharjah Test was pivotal to the side’s series-levelling win while Taylor had scored a vital hundred in the drawn Dubai Test.

After he was reported for a suspect action, Mohammad Hafeez had said that he did not rate himself as a bowler and was focused on his career as an international batsman. His suspension as a bowler, though, could affect Pakistan’s preparations for the World Cup, according to team manager Moin Khan, and there will be some scrutiny on Hafeez as he walks out to bat. His recent form has been good with a couple of hundreds against New Zealand in the Tests.

Team news

Umar Gul took 2 for 24 on his return to international cricket in the second T20 and could play his first ODI since March 2014.

Pakistan

(probable) 1 Ahmed Shehzad, 2 Mohammad Hafeez, 3 Sarfraz Ahmed (wk) , 4 Younis Khan, 5 Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), 6 Umar Akmal, 7 Shahid Afridi, 8 Umar Gul, 9 Wahab Riaz, 10 Zulfiqar Babar, 11 Mohammad Irfan

Martin Guptill has been ruled out of the match due to a hamstring niggle which also kept him out of the second T20. New Zealand have not yet taken a call on Corey Anderson’s selection, after the allrounder was struck on the helmet during the first T20.

New Zealand

(probable) 1 Anton Devcich, 2 Kane Williamson (capt), 3 Dean Brownlie, 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Tom Latham, 6 Luke Ronchi (wk), 7 James Neesham, 8 Daniel Vettori, 9 Adam Milne/Nathan McCullum, 10 and 11 Matt Henry/Kyle Mills/Mitchell McClenaghan

Pitch and conditions

The ODI series will start at the venue of the two T20s. The surface for the second game on Friday was slower but the surface for the ODIs could end up being more batting-friendly. Dew was not much of an issue during the second T20.

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Stats and trivia

• The last time Pakistan suffered five or more successive ODI defeats was between November 2009 and June 2010, when they lost nine games on the trot
• New Zealand have won 10 out of 32 games they have played in the UAE. All but three of the games were played in Sharjah.

Quotes

“The thinking is that now that we have him here, we give him full confidence, because even as a senior you require backing.”
Misbah-ul-Haq on how Pakistan will handle Younis Khan, who had lashed out at the selectors after being dropped for the Australia ODIs

“It’s not so much an audition, it’s very much about workloads as well. There’s so much cricket before the World Cup so we’re very conscious of that but we also want to put out our strongest side.”
Kane Williamson talks up the big picture for New Zealand