Sun Mar 16 01:40:00 UTC 2025: ## New Zealand and Pakistan to Clash in First T20I on March 16th

**Christchurch, New Zealand** – New Zealand and Pakistan will face off in the first of a five-match T20I series on Sunday, March 16th, 2025, at Hagley Oval in Christchurch. The match will mark the beginning of a highly anticipated series between the two cricketing nations, featuring several key players and intriguing storylines.

The match will see Michael Bracewell leading New Zealand in the absence of several key players participating in the Indian Premier League (IPL), including Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, and white-ball captain Mitchell Santner. New Zealand’s squad features a mix of established players and returning stars, such as James Neesham, Tim Seifert, and Finn Allen, with Allen and Neesham likely to open the innings. The pace attack will be spearheaded by Ben Sears and William O’Rourke, supported by Jacob Duffy.

Pakistan, on the other hand, has undergone significant changes following a disappointing performance in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Star players Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan have been dropped from the T20 squad, with three newcomers – Abdul Samad, Hassan Nawaz, and Mohammad Ali – called up. The experienced Shadab Khan returns to the team and is expected to lead the spin attack alongside Abrar Ahmed. The Pakistani team management may offer debut opportunities to both Hassan Nawaz and Abdul Samad, the latter despite lacking Pakistan Super League (PSL) experience.

Hagley Oval is known for being a batting-friendly pitch, with teams averaging around eight runs per over. While two T20Is between these teams last year were low-scoring affairs, the expectation is for a higher-scoring encounter this time. The weather forecast predicts clear skies, reducing the likelihood of rain affecting the match.

The match will begin at 2:45 PM IST (Indian Standard Time). The remaining matches in the series are scheduled for Dunedin (March 18th), Auckland (March 21st), Mount Maunganui (March 23rd), and Wellington (March 26th). A three-match ODI series will follow.

**Probable Playing XIs:**

**New Zealand:** Finn Allen, Tim Robinson, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Mitchell He (wk), Michael Bracewell (c), Ben Sears, Ish Sodhi, William O’Rourke, Jacob Duffy.

**Pakistan:** Mohammad Harris (wk), Omar Yusuf, Hassan Nawaz, Salman Ali Agha (c), Abdul Samad, Irfan Khan, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed, Abbas Afridi.

The final part of the provided text, regarding a BJP leader’s statement, is unrelated to the New Zealand vs. Pakistan cricket match and has been omitted from this news article.

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