Pakistan opt to bowl in rain-shortened 42-over match; Seifert returns to ODI side after five years

Pakistan won the toss and elected to bowl first against New Zealand for the third consecutive match. The toss at Mount Maunganui was delayed by an hour and twenty minutes due to heavy overnight rain, which left the outfield damp and forced the game to be shortened to 42 overs per side.

Pakistan made a single change from their previous outing, bringing in Naseem Shah to replace Haris Rauf, who was ruled out after failing a concussion test following a blow to the head while batting in Hamilton. Naseem had served as the concussion substitute in that game.

New Zealand, having already sealed the series with two convincing wins, made a tactical change by bringing in Tim Seifert in place of Nathan Smith. Seifert returned to the ODI side for the first time since 2019.

New Zealand XI: Nick Kelly, Rhys Mariu, Henry Nicholls, Daryl Mitchell, Tim Seifert, Michael Bracewell (capt), Muhammad Abbas, Mitchell Hay (wk), Jacob Duffy, Ben Sears, Will O'Rourke
Pakistan XI: Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan (capt & wk), Salman Ali Agha, Tayyab Tahir, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Naseem Shah, Sufiyan Muqeem, Akif Javed

Catch the match live updates, highlights, and full match coverage on CricRadio. Get fast, accurate, and ad-free updates throughout the game. Download the CricRadio app from the Play Store to stay connected. You can also get the live scores of cricket series directly on the CricRadio website for real-time coverage.