• New Zealand and Pakistan will face each other in the third T20I on Tuesday.

  • Sarfaraz Ahmed might replace Abdullah Shafique in the final T20I.

New Zealand vs Pakistan, 3rd T20I: Preview – Pitch Report, Head to Head record and Playing XI
Kane Williamson, Shadab Khan (Image Source: Twitter)

The McLean Park in Napier will host the third and final T20I of the three-match series between New Zealand and Pakistan on Tuesday.

The home side have already sealed the series after winning the first two fixtures. They will be looking to win another match in order to attain a clean sweep.

Pakistan, on the other hand, will be playing for pride and, hence, look to register their first victory on the ongoing New Zealand tour. A consolation win in the dead rubber will also help the visitors to commence the upcoming Test series on a higher note.

Pitch and weather report

The track at McLean Park assist good support to batsmen and fans may expect a high-scoring game. But the weather on match day is expected to stay cloudy, so the role of seamers will also come into play, especially in the initial phase of the contest.

Head to head record

Matches played: 23 | New Zealand: 10 | Pakistan: 13 | Draw: 0 | Tied: 0

Playing Combination:

New Zealand

New Zealand are likely to stick with the same XI that defeated Pakistan in the second game as the hosts shall not alter their winning combination.

NZ XI: Kane Williamson (c), Martin Guptill, Tim Seifert (wk), Devon Conway, Glenn Phillips, James Neesham, Kyle Jamieson, Scott Kuggeleijn, Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Ish Sodhi.

Pakistan

The Pakistan top-order has not impressed in both the fixtures; therefore, former Pakistan skipper Sarfraz Ahmed might get a chance to play the dead rubber. Sarfaraz is likely to replace opener Abdullah Shafique, who has bagged two ducks so far in the series.

PAK XI: Shadab Khan (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Haider Ali, Mohammad Hafeez, Khushdil Shah, Imad Wasim, Faheem Ashraf, Wahab Riaz, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Abdullah Shafique/Sarfraz Ahmed.

TAGS:

CATEGORY: New Zealand

For latest cricket news and updates, subscribe to our Weekly Newsletter.

About the Author:
Akshat is the Sr. Content Strategist at CricketTimes.com. With a passion for storytelling and a keen eye for detail, Akshat has honed his skills over 6 years, working with various media outlets, publications, and organizations to deliver high-quality content that informs, educates, and entertains audiences. He is just another cricket fan who’s grown up watching the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid. Cricket runs in his veins. Cover drive is his favorite sight, and a ball meeting the middle of the bat is his favorite sound. You can write to him at akshat.gaur@crickettimes.com and follow him on Twitter, Facebook & Linkedin.