KARACHI: Pakistan and New Zealand arrived here today for the last three One-Day Internationals of the five-match series. The two sides will play these matches at the National Bank Stadium on 3, 5 and 7 May.
Pakistan lead the five-match series 2-0.
Iftikhar Ahmed will replace Haris Sohail after the latter sustained shoulder injury on the eve of the first ODI.
The middle-order batter landed awkwardly during a fielding drill that injured his left shoulder.
“Each and every match that we play from now on holds a great significance for us. This series is a brilliant opportunity for us to fine-tune our combinations and gather the momentum ahead of the mega events in the shape of Asia Cup and the much-anticipated World Cup.
“This team has done well in the past one year in the one-day format and I have firm faith in my boys that they will perform according to expectations in the exciting next seven months,” said Pakistan team captain Babar Azam.
In addition to this series and in the lead up to the World Cup, which will be held in October/November, Pakistan are also scheduled to play three ODIs against Afghanistan in August and September’s ACC Men’s Asia Cup.
The series is an opportunity to gather the momentum.
Both Pakistan and New Zealand have qualified directly for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 after finishing in the top-eight of the 13-team ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League.
New Zealand topped the Super League with 16 wins in 24 matches while Pakistan finished fifth with 13 wins in 21 matches.
Pakistan’s record since the start of last year has also been a remarkable one. They enjoy the win-loss ratio of 3, which is the best for any side. During this period, they have beaten Australia (2-1), West Indies (3-0) and the Netherlands (3-0) before losing to New Zealand (2-1) earlier in the year in Karachi.
