Pakistan v New Zealand in 2022/23 – Almanack report

New Zealand’s visit to Pakistan, 15 months after their controversial departure on the morning of the first match of their previous visit, was a chance to mend fences as much as an opportunity for both sides to improve their Test form. But while the first part was easily accomplished – there was plenty of goodwill towards the tourists during their three weeks in Pakistan – the second was harder to achieve.

Since it came hot on the heels of a 3-0 drubbing by England – the first time Pakistan had suffered a home whitewash – there should have been intense pressure on Babar Azam and his team. However, the day after England departed, upheaval reigned at the Pakistan Cricket Board. Chairman Ramiz Raja was ousted less than halfway through his term, and Najam Sethi swept back in for another stint: the backstage machinations took up more column space on the sports pages than anything Pakistan might have done on the field.

While England’s tour had seen each of the three Tests played in a different city, New Zealand landed in Karachi and stayed there. Multan had been due to host the second Test, but the smog that visibly affected air quality, and had briefly threatened to delay the start against England, meant the game moved to Karachi, where the sea breeze can help mitigate pollution.

The conversation about Pakistan’s pitches is only slightly less tedious than the cricket that ends up being played on them and, in the absence of England’s ultra-aggressive brand, it soon became evident quite how turgid Tests on unresponsive surfaces can be. Both matches were drawn and, even though both had exciting climaxes, the first four days of each bordered on the soporific. The teams chose to counter this in starkly different ways: Pakistan went with pace, New Zealand with spin.

It probably didn’t help that neither side had a realistic shot of qualifying for the World Test Championship final. Both had lost their previous four Tests, so were reasonably content to stop the rot. In truth, it was only New Zealand who could claim any real progress, dominating both games and making the telling declarations – even though Pakistan’s last pair needed only 15 more to win the second game, before the umpires called a halt for bad light.

The one-day internationals that followed the Tests signalled the start of World Cup year. With the 50-over format being pushed to the margins, the build-up to arguably the most prestigious trophy in the sport now represents the only part of the four-year cycle in which ODIs take centre stage. The pitches were on the slow side, but there were few complaints about the quality and excitement of the cricket. It felt appropriate that – on a tour where they landed the more telling punches – New Zealand walked away with a hard-fought 2-1 win.

India touring party: *TG Southee (T/50), FH Allen (50), TA Blundell (T), MG Bracewell (T/50), DP Conway (T/50), LH Ferguson (50), MJ Henry (T/50), TWM Latham (T/50), AF Milne (50), DJ Mitchell (T/50), HM Nicholls (T/50), AY Patel (T), GD Phillips (T/50), MJ Santner (50), HB Shipley (50), IS Sodhi (T/50), BM Tickner (T/50), N Wagner (T), KS Williamson (T/50), WA Young (T). Coach: GR Stead.
Williamson captained in the ODIs. Milne had a hamstring strain, and Tickner was added to the 50-over squad as cover.

First Test at Karachi, December 26-30, 2022: Drawn

Pakistan 4pts. New Zealand 4pts. Toss: Pakistan.

It was out with the old, and in with the older, as Pakistan’s new chief selector, Shahid Afridi, made an early mark. Out went 30-year-old Mohammad Rizwan, after a poor run with the bat in Tests, and back came 35-year-old former captain Sarfraz Ahmed, for his 50th Test – his first in over three years, and his first ever in Pakistan. Also included was another local boy, Mir Hamza, a left-arm seamer whose impressive domestic form had led to a clamour for his return, four years after his only previous cap. New Zealand were without Trent Boult, who had asked to be released from his central contract, and their view of the pitch was obvious in their selection: three spinners, two seamers.

After Babar Azam won the toss, Pakistan lost four wickets in the first session, showing some of the problems that bedevilled them against England. Abdullah Shafiq was stumped in the fourth over, slow left-armer Patel’s first, and Shan Masood went the same way in the seventh, this time to the improving off-spin of Bracewell. It was the first time the first two wickets in a men’s Test had been stumpings. The pitch held fewer terrors than the pre-lunch display suggested, and Pakistan changed their approach, with Babar and Sarfraz batting almost to the close in a stand worth 196. Sarfraz’s counterattacking knock ended at 86, but Babar finished the day with a majestic 161, ensuring he would be the leading Test run-scorer in 2022, just ahead of Joe Root. He went in the first over next morning, but Agha Salman, batting sensibly with the tail, hit a neat maiden century. Still, even a total of 438 looked below par on a bland surface.

For New Zealand, the value of having Conway and Latham back together at the top of the order was soon evident. Since 2016, no opening pair with at least 500 runs between them had a higher average than their 60. They soon zoomed past that: it was 53 overs and 183 runs before Pakistan finally claimed a wicket, and that only brought in Williamson, in his first Test after ceding the captaincy to Southee. The fast bowlers were still getting no help, so Babar bowled his spinners into the ground: Abrar Ahmed (who did finish with five wickets) and Nauman Ali sent down 131 overs between them, for combined figures of 8-390.

Williamson looked untroubled, and shared several useful partnerships before combining with Sodhi in a seventh-wicket stand of 159 that took New Zealand well in front. Then with only last man Patel for company, Williamson unleashed an exquisite cover-drive to reach 199, before tapping a single into the on side for his fifth Test double-century, reached in a little under ten hours. Southee declared with a lead of 174, and four sessions remaining.

Imam-ul-Haq made a defiant 96, and Sarfraz batted well again for 53. But with Sodhi finding increasing turn, Pakistan looked sunk when Imam became a third stumping for Blundell, to make it 207-6 halfway through the final day. But Saud Shakeel and Mohammad Wasim put on 71, using up 19 overs and 73 minutes. With Mir Hamza presenting a dead bat for 34 balls, Pakistan looked to have saved the match – before Babar injected unexpected life by declaring, challenging New Zealand to score 137 in 15 overs. They might have done it, too, but for bad light (which was probably a factor in Babar’s seemingly generous decision). Under darkening skies, they had sped along to 61-1 in 7.3, before the umpires decided enough was enough, and the teams shook hands after a slightly surreal final act.

Player of the Match: KS Williamson.

Second Test at Karachi, January 2-6, 2023: Drawn

Pakistan 4pts. New Zealand 4pts. Toss: New Zealand.

Chastened by criticism of the surface served up for the first Test, Pakistan’s interim managing committee promised a greentop for the Second, also at the National Stadium. Plenty of grass was left on, and Pakistan ditched a spinner in favour of an extra quick, 19-year old Naseem Shah, back for the first time since a shoulder injury hampered him during the first Test against England.

But New Zealand were having none of it. They stuck with three spinners, although they did replace Neil Wagner with the more traditional seam and swing of Henry. And Southee was not spooked by the pitch’s hue, opting to bat. Pakistan had stumbled in the first session of the first Test, but New Zealand had no such problems on a pitch supposedly tailor-made for the home seamers. Conway and Latham recognised the surface for the paper tiger it was, and went hard, forcing Babar Azam to turn to spin as early as the seventh over. By the end of the first session, New Zealand were 119 without loss and, with the pitch drying out, well placed to drive home their advantage.

Conway, who had scored the first Test century of 2022, started the new year in similar fashion, reaching three figures shortly before tea. He put on 134 with Latham and 100 with Williamson, but a flurry of wickets threatened to undo his good work: 234-1 became 345-9 before lunch on the second day. Henry and Patel frustrated Pakistan, however, applying themselves during a last-wicket stand of 104. Henry rode his luck, but played some outstanding strokes, including pulled sixes off Naseem and Hassan Ali; both banked their highest Test score. Naseem took three wickets with high pace and late swing, but the spinners shared the other seven.

Pakistan stumbled when Babar was comically run out, but Imam-ul-Haq contributed another sensible innings, a four-hour 83. Then Saud Shakeel dug in with Sarfraz Ahmed: they added 150, with Shakeel reaching his first Test century. He remained undefeated on 125, taking time out of the game by batting for 471 minutes and facing 341 balls. Pakistan eventually finished just 41 behind, with two days (minus one over) left. Again there were only three wickets for the seamers.

To win, New Zealand had to push on – but they could not force the pace in the first two sessions of the fourth day, and had added only 151 by tea. Four wickets had gone down, raising home hopes. But Blundell and Bracewell counter-attacked, putting on 127, and Southee was able to declare just before the close, setting a tempting target of 319. He then bowled Abdullah Shafiq with the second ball of the chase, and Sodhi added nightwatchman Mir Hamza with what became the day’s last delivery, leaving Pakistan reeling at 0-2.

By lunch next day it was 80-5, with Babar gone, caught by substitute keeper Latham (Blundell had tweaked a hamstring while batting). It looked as if Pakistan’s poor home summer would continue, but the in-form Shakeel and Sarfraz had other ideas. They batted through the middle session, and were not separated until the sixth over after tea. Agha Salman helped Sarfraz put on 70, and Pakistan – now needing 46 – smelled victory. But Salman and Hassan fell to the new ball, and Bracewell finally snared Sarfraz for 118, his fourth Test century. New Zealand had 21 balls at the last pair before the light faded, but Naseem and Abrar Ahmed hung on to ensure the series was shared, with  Pakistan only 15 short of victory.

Player of the Match: Sarfraz Ahmed.
Player of the Series: Sarfraz Ahmed.

First one-day international At Karachi, January 9, 2023 (day/night). Pakistan won by 6 wickets. New Zealand 255-9 (50 overs) (DJ Mitchell 36, TWM Latham 42, GD Phillips 37, MG Bracewell 43; Naseem Shah 5-57); Pakistan 258-4 (48.1 overs) (Fakhar Zaman 56, Babar Azam 66, Mohammad Rizwan 77*, Haris Sohail 32). Pakistan 10pts. PoM: Naseem Shah. ODI debuts: Usama Mir (Pakistan); HB Shipley (New Zealand).

Second one-day international At Karachi, January 11, 2023 (day/night). New Zealand won by 79 runs. New Zealand 261 (49.5 overs) (DP Conway 101, KS Williamson 85, MJ Santner 37; Naseem Shah 3-58, Mohammad Nawaz 4-38); Pakistan 182 (43 overs) (Babar Azam 79). New Zealand 10pts. PoM: DP Conway.

Third one-day international At Karachi, January 13, 2023 (day/night). New Zealand won by 2 wickets. Pakistan 280-9 (50 overs) (Fakhar Zaman 101, Mohammad Rizwan 77, Agha Salman 45; TG Southee 3-56); New Zealand 281-8 (48.1 overs) (DP Conway 52, KS Williamson 53, DJ Mitchell 31, GD Phillips 63*). New Zealand 10pts. PoM: GD Phillips. PoS: DP Conway. ODI debut: Kamran Ghulam.