New Zealand (320/5) defeat Pakistan (260) comfortably by 60 runs to clinch triumph in the inaugural match of ICC Champions Trophy 2025

[NeVerMind]

RizBar to open as Fakhar cannot come in as opener?

 

[Jazx]

300 is quite easy to chase on this pitch due to the dew factor. Pakistan's batsmen simply needed to build partnerships instead of throwing away their wickets in panic.

No total is easy for Pakistan's batting, they can panic in a 120 chase as well

 

[Kianig89]

83 runs of Rauf , what a trash he is on flat wickets.

Who will open with Babar , Rizwan or Saud

 

[Bhaijaan]

Pakistan conceded 96 runs in the last 7 overs:

44th over: Abrar gave 16 runs
45th over: Rauf gave 16 runs
46th over: Naseem gave 9 runs
47th over: Shaheen gave 18 runs
48th over: Rauf gave 11 runs
49th over: Shaheen gave 12 runs
50th over: Rauf gave 14 runs

Unforgivable

also I think 10-15 due to bad feeling

 

[m.shah]

Babar and Saud opening

 

[Kianig89]

Rauf last 3 overs 41 runs , criminal

 

[Nado_]

Saud opening ? Congrats New Zealand . Pakistan may aswell just head out to Burns Road and feast on some bun kebabs to take out their misery

 

[Flat_Track_Bully]

Pakistan conceded 96 runs in the last 7 overs:

44th over: Abrar gave 16 runs
45th over: Rauf gave 16 runs
46th over: Naseem gave 9 runs
47th over: Shaheen gave 18 runs
48th over: Rauf gave 11 runs
49th over: Shaheen gave 12 runs
50th over: Rauf gave 14 runs

Rauf should have been permanently dropped after the last T20 WC.

 

[JibranAnsari]

With experience pakistan bowlers have gotten worse.

 

[Kianig89]

Babar and Saud opening

Perfect for 70s cricket

 

[Hellion]

Haris Rauf bowled the 4th most expensive spell in CT history -2/83

Worst was by Wahab - 0/87 against India.

 

[jnaveen1980]

Two guys out of syllabus. Latham, Young. So Rachin is not available yet. Young is Rachin's replacement.

 

[Champ_Pal]

O need to panic for Pakistan. 320 is just par score. Not a match winning one.
I feel NZ played too slow in the middle overs. 350 would have been match winning score.
As long as Pakistan are not 50/3 in 10 overs, they are in the game.

 

[Kianig89]

Mind you there is Test class then there is Saud Class

 

[Flat_Track_Bully]

Haris Rauf bowled the 4th most expensive spell in CT history -2/83

Worst was by Wahab - 0/87 against India.

The lineage of our spray gun heritage

Mohammad Sami > Wahab Riaz > Haris Rauf

 

[jnaveen1980]

Haris Rauf bowled the 4th most expensive spell in CT history -2/83

Worst was by Wahab - 0/87 against India.

Some of Haris's qualities are strikingly similar to Wahab's. Both fast and brainless.

 

[m.shah]

Haris Rauf bowled the 4th most expensive spell in CT history -2/83

Worst was by Wahab - 0/87 against India.

Haris should not play in Asia

 

[Kianig89]

Heck Jehandad Khan offers more utility than Rauf on these pitches

 

[emranabbas]

Perfect for 70s cricket

Ain't that sort of stuff you love you wanted Imam to open who plays 60's cricket

 

[Bhaijaan]

300+ totals have a history of getting chased down in Karachi.

This game is on bro

 

[m.shah]

Heck Jehandad Khan offers more utility than Rauf on these pitches

More than Shaheen too

 

[Kianig89]

Rauf has fumbled way too often

Vs India MCG 22
Vs AFG WC23
Vs USA Wt20 24
And the list goes on

 

[boomboomcheema]

Fakhar not opening doesnt look good to me , Saud doesnt inspire any confidence looks like a Test Batter.

 

[m.shah]

Solid start
1 from the over

 

[Jazx]

Some of Haris's qualities are strikingly similar to Wahab's. Both fast and brainless.

Not only Haris, almost all the current Pakistan bowlers have this quality

 

[Bhaijaan]

If NZ has to win they must get 3 wickets inside first 10 overs

If Pakistan keep wickets in hand till 20-25 overs, they will chase this down without breaking sweat.

 

[sweep_shot]

83 runs of Rauf , what a trash he is on flat wickets.

Who will open with Babar , Rizwan or Saud

Rauf shouldn't play on flat pitches. Doesn't suit him.

 

[Kianig89]

Welcome to dot ball galore

Should Pakistan play for RR , does it matters

 

[emranabbas]

Bit random one of the best competitions was wahab vs Shane Watson, Shane Watson only to be dropped by rahat ali

 

[m.shah]

Well left by Saud

 

[Nikhil_cric]

O'Rourke bowled a lot of wides in the tri series . Can't afford that today.

 

[emranabbas]

Should aim for 90 runs in 10 overs then work on building partnerships

 

[boomboomcheema]

Pakistan playing for a draw. Safe approach.

 

[Kianig89]

Babar the sheet anchor in team

Saud the class anchor ..

Rizwan the dead anchor

Too many anchors

 

[m.shah]

Saud leaving ball well here

 

[Bewal Express]

300 is quite easy to chase on this pitch due to the dew factor. Pakistan's batsmen simply needed to build partnerships instead of throwing away their wickets in panic.

Let's hope so

 

[Kianig89]

@Rana must be loving Saud class

 

[emranabbas]

Babar the sheet anchor in team

Saud the class anchor ..

Rizwan the dead anchor

Too many anchors

@Kianig89 accounts been hacked by @Rana

 

[hamzie]

we are toast

 

[m.shah]

Crowd dead silent

 

[Flat_Track_Bully]

Should have just picked Imam.

 

[Greenstorm]

Saud reminding us of Imam.

 

[Kianig89]

NZ bowling is world class unlike Pakistan

Henry Orourke Santner Bracewell all proper bowlers alteast against Pak

 

[mumtaz]

Expect a quiet 5 overs until Fakhar is able to bat at 3.

 

[Kianig89]

Saud needs to dab and nudge like Imam to have 80 Sr for a selfish 50

 

[Nikhil_cric]

O Rourke has the 2nd highest release point amongst all bowlers in the Champions Trophy , wow.

 

[Ahmed216]

Coward Azam and Soft Shakeel at the crease

 

[NeVerMind]

Would have been a good experiment to send Tayib to open and give him free reign...but we opted for two mental midgets instead

 

[Flat_Track_Bully]

We should aim to tuk tuk for the next 40 overs and then explode at 15 an over in the last 10 overs.

 

[emranabbas]

Crowd dead silent

Nothing to cheer about on the 1st day of test match

 

[Kianig89]

Pakistan vs Bangladesh will be a proper contest , battle for no.3

 

[Vikram1989]

Good test batting from pak.nz will be desperately hoping for this partnership to grow at this rate for pp.

 

[JibranAnsari]

O Rourke has the 2nd highest release point amongst all bowlers in the Champions Trophy , wow.

Who tops him?

 

[Kianig89]

Is this Aqiball or they are wating for dew, which will start after 80 mins in Karachi and that's around 20 overs

 

[Greenstorm]

Hopefully they were just seeing of the new ball for first two overs.

 

[Devadwal]

Ball is coming nicely at the moment. I can see big knock from Babar Today

 

[JibranAnsari]

There was a time when we pakistanis used to make fun of ishant sharma ..

Now we dont have one even of his quality.

 

[shah9425]

Pathetic

 

[Nikhil_cric]

Who tops him?

Not sure. Maybe only Kyle Jamieson

 

[jnaveen1980]

Dwaiting for dew to set in?

 

[kron]

NZ bowling is world class unlike Pakistan

Henry Orourke Santner Bracewell all proper bowlers alteast against Pak

Reports from some media in Pakistan are saying santner is chucking. A cheater

 

[emranabbas]

We should aim to tuk tuk for the next 40 overs and then explode at 15 an over in the last 10 overs.

The most out dated strategy.

Set the tone early and build momentum
New Zealand will crumble under the pressure.

 

[RidiculousMan]

Chota Don soaked up all the pressure. Now he needs to release it back.

 

[adi_62941]

Shaheen and naseem are purely playing on pakhtun qouta. Otherwise too many good bowlers are there to replace them

 

[Kianig89]

Like Bolton Wanderers of early 2000s under Big Sam, Babar and Saud leaving it like long balls pathetic and outdated

 

[Devadwal]

Pathetic

Calm down they are just seeing of the new ball before the take on the bowlers.

 

[sweep_shot]

PAK - 5/0 (3 overs).

Need to accelerate a bit.

 

[Asad T]

lolll

 

[Flat_Track_Bully]

Our tuk tuk heritage

Misbah > Azhar Ali > Asad Shafiq > Saud Shakeel

 

[Bhaijaan]

Saud needs to get a move on here. Don’t play a blockathon bro

 

[JibranAnsari]

Pakistan making good use of powerplay. Why send the new ball outside the inner circle.

 

[Savak]

Saud wasting the powerplay by blocking and hitting the ball to the fielders. Dude atleast try to hit over the fielders, if you can't then you have no business playing limited overs cricket.

 

[sweep_shot]

Surprised by Saud's approach. Test batting. No intent.

 

[kron]

O Rourke has the 2nd highest release point amongst all bowlers in the Champions Trophy , wow.

He will get found out soon. Novelty now

 

[Kianig89]

L Balaji
A Nehra
M Patel

These 3 seamers better than Pakistan attack atleast they were economical with odd wickets

 

[Flat_Track_Bully]

Pakistan making good use of powerplay. Why send the new ball outside the inner circle.

Plan is to take the match into day 5.

 

[Usman Chadda]

Uh guys has somebody told Saud we are chasing 321?

 

[JibranAnsari]

Rizwan was the natural choice to open in absence of fakhar as he opens in t20s as well.

 

[Devadwal]

NZ bowling attacks is Only perform against india.

 

[hafizexpress]

Saud giving me Imam WC'23 vibes