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PAK vs NZ Dream11 Prediction: 3 Top Captain Or Vice-Captain Choices For 1st ODI Of Tri-Series

Akshita Patel

Pakistan to face New Zealand in 1st ODI [Source: @_FaridKhan/X.com]Pakistan to face New Zealand in 1st ODI [Source: @_FaridKhan/X.com]

Pakistan is going to host New Zealand and South Africa in an ODI tri-series as all teams are preparing for the 2025 Champions Trophy. For the 1st ODI, Pakistan will play New Zealand on February 8 at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore from 2.30 PM IST.

Pakistan 

Pakistan, led by Mohammad Rizwan, will field a formidable lineup to get under the skin of New Zealand. Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf will feature in the pace attack alongside spearhead Shaheen Afridi. 

The strategy will focus on aggressive wicket-taking. Mohammad Rizwan will be critical for the anchor role on batting. Babar Azam might be having a lean patch of late, but he will find this a match to regain himself. With Saud Shakheel and Usman Khan in the lineup, Pakistan has a solid middle order capable of piling on runs.

New Zealand

New Zealand enters this series with confidence after a dominant ODI series victory against Sri Lanka earlier in the year. Though they lost the last match, winning the first two by nine wickets and 113 runs was impressive. 

The only real selection headache for the Black Caps is whether Tom Latham plays in the XI. Will Young is likely to partner with all-rounder Rachin Ravindra for a balanced left-right combination at the top. With the ball, Matt Henry stands out as their most in-form pacer.

How will the Gaddafi Stadium pitch behave?

Gaddafi Stadium has been recently renovated with the outfield also being restructured. The pitch is likely to be a two paced surface, with enough assistance for pacers and spinners. The average first inning score here is 284 with teams batting first seeing more success. Hence, toss will likely be a factor.

Top 3 Captain and Vice-Captain Choices for PAK vs NZ

3. Matt Henry

Why Will Matt Henry Be A Good Choice As The Captain Or Vice-captain?

Recent form: Matt Henry is likely to spearhead New Zealand's fast bowling in the 1st ODI. He has been in good form, taking a five-wicket-haul in Super Smash 2024-25. He also picked up a dual four-wicket-haul against Sri Lanka in the 1st and 3rd ODI. As far as his career stats are concerned, Henry has 150 wickets in 85 ODI games.

Impact with the new ball: Henry is brutal with the new ball. He can generate movement off the surface and rattle the opposition in the powerplay whilst bowling economical spells. Hence, Matt Henry is the trustworthy wicket-take the Kiwis will bank on.

2. Fakhar Zaman

Why Will Fakhar Zaman Be A Good Choice As The Captain Or Vice-captain?

Recent form: Fakhar Zaman is making a comeback to the side after a long hiatus. His last few games have been quite encouraging. He had two half-centuries in ILT20 2025 and scored 303 runs in 10 matches of the Pakistan T20 Cup 2024. In addition, Zaman has scored 3492 runs in 82 ODIs with 11 hundreds and an average of 46.56.

Explosive hitting: Fakhar Zaman is an explosive hitter, especially in white-ball formats. He can accelerate in the powerplay, setting a perfect stage for his team. Zaman can hit towering sixes and rotate strikes and his power-hitting skills make him an impactful opener.

1. Shaheen Afridi 

Why Will Shaheen Afridi Be A Good Choice As The Captain Or Vice-captain?

Recent form: Shaheen Afridi has been Pakistan’s most impactful bowler in recent times. He picked 4 wickets in BPL and a four-wicket-haul in the ODI series against South Africa. Despite issues with injury, Afridi is the best pacer Pakistan has out there.

Impact: Afridi's ability to take early wickets in the powerplay makes him invaluable in white-ball cricket. His deadly in-swinging deliveries often trap top-order batters, unsettling opponents early in their innings.