3 player battles to watch out for in the Pakistan-New Zealand ODI series

Pakistan will take on New Zealand in a three-match ODI series to be played at the National Stadium in Karachi, the first of which will take place on Monday, January 9.

After the two-match Test series ended in a 0-0 stalemate, a quick turnaround of just two days brings the two teams back on the park. This year remains a crucial one as far as the 50-over format is concerned, with the ODI World Cup set to be played in India later in 2023.

To that end, this is where both Pakistan and New Zealand will look to fine-tune their preparations for the same. While the hosts last played an ODI series in the Netherlands in August 2022, the Blackcaps defeated India 1-0 back home in November.

Both teams are missing some key players due to injury. While Pakistan won't be able to call upon Shaheen Shah Afridi or Shadab Khan, the same goes for Matt Henry and Adam Milne as far as New Zealand are concerned.

This only adds another layer of intrigue to the series but also presents some other players with a golden opportunity to stake a claim for permanent honors. On that note, let’s look at the three player battles to watch out for in the series.

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#1 Babar Azam vs Mitchell Santner

Whenever Pakistan take the field, all eyes are on a certain Babar Azam. The skipper has come under scrutiny for the team's failure to win a single home Test in eight attempts over the last year but ODI is a format he loves.

He will have a huge say in how the hosts dominate the middle overs but standing in his way is Mitchell Santner. The left-arm spinner is one of the shrewdest spinners doing the rounds and will be tasked with stemming the flow of runs from New Zealand's perspective.

Mind you, Babar is yet to be dismissed by Santner in ODIs. Having said that, on what is expected to be another flat track, the latter's smarts will hold him in good stead, turning this into an enterprising battle.

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#2 Naseem Shah vs Kane Williamson

Just as key as Babar is for Pakistan, his opposite number Kane Williamson will hold the aces for New Zealand. Back at the helm of the ODI side, Willamson's timely return to form in the Tests should add a spring to his step ahead of this series.

But with Naseem Shah not only having the ability to swing the ball but also setting him up brilliantly in the first innings of the second Test, this battle ought to grab the headlines.

It'll be a test of patience for the prodigious seamer with the 50-over format right up the New Zealand skipper's ally. This head-to-head could surely define the makeup of this series and the extent to which Pakistan can restrict the visitors with the ball.

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#3 Haris Rauf vs Tom Latham

Pakistan have received a massive boost with tearaway quick Haris Rauf returning from injury. Given his ability to break games open with sheer pace, he could be tasked with negating the Tom Latham factor.

The southpaw not only enters this series in fine fettle but also on the back of a magnificent unbeaten 145 against India at the end of November 2022. He remains a masterful chaser in this format for New Zealand and is a fine player of spin bowling, while also being assured against pace.

With no Shadab to fall back on for the middle overs and Usama Mir untested at this level, it could well come down to Haris' raw pace to tackle the Latham threat. This ought to be a salivating battle over the course of the next few days.

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Which team starts the ODI series between Pakistan and New Zealand as favorites? Have your say in the comments section below!

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