Pakistan vs New Zealand first ODI match Prediction, 9 January 2023
How is that, my fellow cricket fans? This article will predict the first ODI match between Pakistan and New Zealand. The first match will be played in the National Stadium on 9 January 2023 at 2:30 pm PST. We all know how the pitch is at the national stadium. You have also read about the squads that both teams have selected to play in this match. We will be making this prediction based on the following factors.
- Pitch
- Squads
- Morale
Each factor is crucial in predicting what team may win or lose. We will discuss each of these in detail in this article. So without further delay, let’s get right into it.
Pitch
Now, let’s talk about the pitch. We all know how Karachi’s pitches turn out to be. It is a batting heaven for any team. The conditions seem to be bright and sunny. Any team who wins the toss should go bowling first. In these conditions, if you know the target, you can chase it accordingly. But if you bat first in such situations, you are in for the treat. This means that you are going to bowl second. States will get humid in Karachi, and the ball will become wet. It becomes challenging for the spinners to grip the ball. Hence, your only advantage becomes nullified.
Thus, the team that opts for the ball first will have a more substantial chance of winning.
Squads
Let’s talk about the playing 11 from each team. We will analyze briefly to understand whether the unit is put to the mark.
| Pakistan’s playing 11 | |
| Player | Role |
| Fakhar Zaman | Batsman |
| Imam-ul-Haq | Batsman |
| Babar Azam | Batsman |
| Muhammad Rizwan | Wicket-keeper |
| Haris Sohail | Batsman |
| Agha Salman | All-Rounder |
| Mohammad Nawaz | All-Rounder |
| Mohammad Wasim | All-Rounder |
| Usama Mir | Pacer |
| Naseem Shah | Pacer |
| Haris Rauf | Pacer |
If we look at Pakistan, their squad looks pretty good. The batting duo of Babar and Imam will be a treat to watch. Fakhar can provide a quick start if he gets going. No one can stop him if Fakhar decides to hammer all the balls to the boundary. With Muhammad Rizwan and Haris sohail in the middle order, we can see a bit of calmness and heavy hitting. So if there is any batting collapse, these two will handle everything. The bowling department is full of pacers. Only Agha Salman and Nawaz provide a bit of spin.
Now, let’s get to New Zealand’s squad
| New Zealand’s Playing 11 | |
| Player | Role |
| Finn Allen | Batsman |
| Devon Conway | Batsman |
| Kane Williamson | Batsman |
| Daryl Mitchell | All-Rounder |
| Tom Latham | Wicket-keeper |
| Glenn Philips | Batsman |
| Micheal Bracewell | Batting All-rounder |
| Mitchell Santner | Bowling All-rounder |
| Henry Shiply | Bowler |
| Tim Southee | Pacer |
| Lokie Ferguson | Pacer |
The Kiwis seem to have cracked the code. They have come with batsmen galore. There are good spinners like Santner who proved effective against Pakistani batsmen. Experienced bowlers like Southee may provide some early breakthroughs. The batting line-up also doesn’t fall behind. With Williamson as their lead, this team will surely win the match if they bat first.
Morale
Pakistanis have a hard time winning matches. They had a disaster during their home tour against the Aussies. Pakistan lost the test and ODI series. They drew all their games against New Zealand, even in the test match series. They could have won the matches, but the batting collapse didn’t help them. The green caps are going with low morale in the game. But if they win the toss, this could be in their favor.
If we talk about the Kiwis, they are in high morale. They saved a loss in the recent test match. Kiwis gave a hard time to Pakistani bowlers during the batting. If they go with the same mindset that they have, then no one can stop them from winning.
Conclusion
New Zealand seems to be in a slightly better position, with the prediction in their favor. We say that due to their high morale and strong batting lineup, there is a 55% chance that they will win this match. Of course, anything can happen if they lose the toss. In this case, the prediction will go down to 50-50.
Let’s see how the games play out.
