NZ vs PAK Pitch report: A new-look Pakistani team will take on New Zealand in te first T20I match at Auckland's Eden Park on Thursday, January 11. Shaheen Afridi will be leading the team in his first T20I match as a full-time captain while Mohammad Rizwan will step in as his deputy in the absence of Shadab Khan.
New Zealand also welcome back their star batter and captain Kane Williamson who missed the recent white-ball series against Bangladesh. Devon Conway is also returning but the rising youngster Ravindra Jadeja is given a rest from this five-match series.
Eden Park, Auckland Pitch Report
Auckland's Eden Park will be hosting it's first T20I game in the last eight months. New Zealand cricket team tied a 196 total against Sri Lanka in the last T20I match here which suggests a good amount of help for the batters. The pitch also offered extra bounce and seam on a new ball. Teams batting first have won 11 of 28 T20I matches played at Eden Park while 12 teams chasing recorded victories.
Eden Park, Auckland - The Numbers Game
T20I Stats
Total T20I matches - 28
Matches won batting first - 11
Matches won bowling first - 12
Average 1st Inns scores - 160
Average 2nd Inns scores - 148
Highest total recorded - 245/5 by Australia vs New Zealand
Lowest total recorded - 76/10 by Bangladesh vs New Zealand
Highest score chases - 245/5 by Australia vs New Zealand
Lowest score defended - 108/6 by England Women vs New Zealand Women
NZ vs PAK, 1st T20I Squads:
New Zealand T20I Squad: Kane Williamson (c), Finn Allen, Tim Seifert (wk), Devon Conway (wk), Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Josh Clarkson (3rd match only), Mitchell Santner, Matt Henry, Adam Milne, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Ben Sears (first two games), Lockie Ferguson (games 3, 4 & 5)
Pakistan T20I squad: Shaheen Shah Afridi (c), Aamer Jamal, Abbas Afridi, Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (vc & wk), Mohammad Wasim, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Usama Mir, Zaman Khan
