New Zealand secured a five-wicket victory over Pakistan in the first warm-up match for the ICC World Cup 2023. The Kiwis accomplished the chase in a mere 43.4 overs in Hyderabad, India.
Pakistan, after winning the toss, chose to set the board. With the guidance of Mohammad Rizwan’s spectacular century, the Men in Green laid down a challenging 346-run target. Rizwan delivered a standout performance, hitting 103 runs from 93 balls, punctuated with 11 boundaries.
Pakistan’s skipper, Babar Azam, followed closely, scoring a substantial 80 off 84, including 10 boundaries. Making waves was Saud Shakeel, the left-handed batter, whose robust performance of 75 runs off nine boundaries at an imposing strike rate of 141.51, became a talking point.
The Nature of Warm-up Matches
Keeping with the tradition of past ICC Cricket World Cup events, each side will play 50 overs during the warm-up matches. Nevertheless, these games won’t hold ODI status, given teams can integrate all 15 squad members into the playing XI, offering more flexibility.
Teams on the Field
Pakistan Squad: Babar Azam (c), Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Haris Rauf, M Wasim Jnr, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Saud Shakeel, Salman Ali Agha.
New Zealand Squad: Kane Williamson (c), Trent Boult, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitch Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Will Young.
