Pakistan v New Zealand First T20 Tips: Hosts can rack up the runs

• Par line play looks solid

• Lahore pitch a road

• Cleaver wrong price at 17/2

Pakistan v New Zealand
Friday 14 April, 17:00
TV: Live on BT Sports

Team news

Pakistan are back to full-strength after a reserve team lost a T20 series in Afghanistan in convincing fashion. Their greatest challenge here could be picking a balanced XI.

They have a surplus of spin all-rounders and a shortage of middle-order batters. Iftikhar Ahmed or Mohhammad Nawaz could miss out and one or two from Fakhar Zaman, Shan Masood, Mohammad Haris and Saim Ayub may have to bat out of position.

There are no concerns about the pace attack which is top class. Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Ihsanullah, Naseem Shah and Zaman Khan are in the squad. The latter two may have to wait their tun.

Possible XI: Babar, Rizwan, Ayub, Fakhar, Masood, Shadab, Imad, Iftikhar, Afridi, Rauf, Ihsanullah

New Zealand have just beaten Sri Lanka in a T20 series but they have left the architect of that success - Tim Seifert - at home. They are also depleted through players being at the IPL: Devon Conway, Finn Allen, Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Tim Southee, Trent Boult. Kane Willaimson and Kyle Jamieson are injured.

In short, they're missing almost an entire team. Skip Tom Latham bats at No 3 in a tough ask. Adam Milne will have to lead the attack. Jimmy Neesham will have to be at his best.

Possible XI: Bowes, Cleaver, Latham, Mitchell, Chapman, Neesham, Ravindra, Shipley, Sodhi, Milne, Lister

Pitch report

We know the Gaddafi Stadium well thanks to the finishing leg of the PSL this year. In nine matches we saw a run feast after run feast.

There were four scores of 200 or more in first-innings and one has to fear for the reserve Kiwi line-up if the toss goes against them. We should be able to play over 180.5 at even money.

How to play

Pakistan are no better than 1.444/9. It's mighty short and, if we were being sticklers, we'd make a case for the Kiwis.

That's because the surface has been so good for batting that seven of those nine matches were won by the team batting first.

The Kiwis are not 3.309/4 shots to post 180. So the best advice on the match odds market could be to play on a trade with the visitors batting first and getting it down to a choice affair.

Tops value

Babar Azam has been boosted to 3/1 and it will prove to be a popular play with Sportsbook. Mohammad Rizwan is 11/4. They are 4/1 the pair for top match bat.

For the Kiwis, Daryl Mitchell has been boosted to 4/1. The value is Dane Cleaver, though. He opened on his last appearance for New Zealand so should be shorter than 17/2.

We would be very surprised if he batted lower than No 3. He's done so only once in the last four years domestically.