Pakistan will take on New Zealand in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 opening match today (February 19). The match will be held at the National Bank Stadium in Karachi.
PAK vs NZ: Pitch report
The National Stadium in Karachi has been a prominent venue for One Day International (ODI) cricket since its inaugural ODI on November 21, 1980, between Pakistan and the West Indies. Over the years, it has hosted 78 ODIs. Teams batting first have won 36 matches, and those bowling first secured 39 victories.
The pitch at the National Stadium tends to favour batters as it tends to be quite flat. Fast bowlers might get some initial help with the new ball. But it usually doesn’t last for long. As the ball gets older, it becomes easier for batsmen to score. The highest total here was 374/4, posted by India against Hong Kong on June 25, 2008.
Pakistan’s performance at this venue has been noteworthy. A significant highlight is their successful chase of 352/5 against South Africa on February 12, 2025.
PAK vs NZ: Head-to-Head
Pakistan and New Zealand have played each other in 118 ODIs. Pakistan has won 61 times, while New Zealand has 53 victories. Three matches have ended in a tie, and one ended in a draw. Their most recent clash was on February 14; New Zealand won by five wickets.
PAK vs NZ: Weather predictions
The weather forecast for Karachi today looks ideal for cricket, with no rain expected throughout the match. At the scheduled start time of 2 PM, the temperature will be around 29°C, as per Weather.com.
As the game progresses, temperatures will remain steady at 29°C until 4 PM before gradually dropping to 27°C by 6 PM. Humidity is relatively low at 39%, which should provide comfortable playing conditions.
By evening, as the match nears its final stages, the temperature will cool to around 25°C by 7 PM and further drop to 24°C by 9 PM.
