KARACHI: Pakistan captain Babar Azam won the toss and elected to bat first in the opening Test against New Zealand at the National Bank Cricket Arena in Karachi on Monday.
The home side made three changes from the last Test they lost to England at the same venue, suffering a 3-0 whitewash in their first home match.
Former Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed has returned to the team after four years. He last played against South Africa in 2019 in which he took 10 catches and scored a half-century.
First Test on his home ground 👏#PAKvNZ | #TayyariKiwiHai pic.twitter.com/m6a43PcXjB
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) December 26, 2022
The wicketkeeper-batsman is playing his 50th Test – his first at his home ground. Pacer Mir Hamza has been included in the playing XI in place of Naseem Shah who is not fully recovered from injury.
Hamza is playing a Test for the first time since 2018.
New Zealand will start the Test with three spinners and as many fast bowlers.
The visiting team was defeated 3-0 by England in their last Test series as well.
Squads:
Pakistan: Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafiq, Shan Masood, Babar Azam (captain), Saud Shakeel, Sarfraz Ahmed (wicket), Agha Salman, Nouman Ali, Muhammad Wasim, Mir Hamza, Abrar Ahmed
New Zealand: Tom Latham, Dion Conway, Kane Williamson, Henry Nicholls, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Blundell (wicket), Michael Bracewell, Tim Southee (captain), Ish Sodhi, Neil Wagner, Ijaz Patel
