Shaheen Afridi to Conway, no run, 137.4 clicks, good length and nips in off the deck, a bit of skiddy, low bounce on that one as well. Thuds onto the front pad of Conway and a huge appeal from Shaheen. The umpire isn't interested, would have gone down leg

Mid-wicket moves to cover point

Shaheen Afridi to Conway, no run, fraction short of length and a bit wide outside off, Conway gets closer to punch but finds the fielder at point

Shaheen Afridi to Will Young, 3 runs, fuller in length and shaping away outside off, lands nicely like a half volley for Will Young who drives it through extra cover.

Shaheen Afridi to Will Young, no run, Shaheen finds some shape straight away!! On a length and shapes away from off stump, Young defends it into the pitch

Will Young and Conway are at the crease. Will Young is on strike. Shaheen Afridi will open the attack

Shaheen Afridi with the new ball in hand. He'll be bowling to Will Young.

Out walk the teams for the National Anthems. First time since 1996 that the Pakistani national anthem will be sung on home soil at an ICC event. Big moment for the hosts and defending champions.

We've made a couple of changes to our #FantasyHandbook team, so have a look at the updated side.

Teams:

New Zealand (Playing XI): Devon Conway, Will Young, Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham(w), Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner(c), Nathan Smith, Matt Henry, William ORourke

Pakistan (Playing XI): Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan(w/c), Salman Agha, Tayyab Tahir, Khushdil Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed

Mitch Santner: The dew gets on later, but we have a job to do with the bat. Looks like a good wicket. We have a good mix of experience and new faces, and are playing some good cricket as well. We have been lucky to play these guys home and away, so we know each other well. What's most important is getting used to the conditions here in Karachi. The injuries we've had are unfortunate, but are confident with the boys that we have out here. Matt Henry comes back in for us.

Rizwan: We will bowl first. Seen the last couple of matches dew comes in later, so want to maximise on that. We are the defending champions so will be in a bit more pressure, but we will treat it like the previous tri-series. Playing in Pakistan will be great as well.

Pakistan have won the toss and have opted to field

Time for the toss now, Santner to call.

Pitch Report: The off side is 62m for the right hander and the leg side is 67m. The boundary down the ground is longer. The surface is very dry with a lot of cracks.

12:45 Local Time, 07:45 GMT, 13:15 IST: The Champions Trophy is back after a gap of 8 years and Pakistan are hosting their first big-ticket tournament since being co-hosts of the 1996 Cricket World Cup. It's been a long wait for a cricket obsessed nation that has been ravaged by internal conflicts. However, cricket has come back to the country in recent times and they've hosted many nations successfully. They also enter the tournament as defending champions, having clinched the title when it was last played in 2017. As hosts, they'll also start the tournament proper with a Group B game against New Zealand, a match they'll probably start as the underdogs. New Zealand have form going into the game with two wins against Pakistan in the recently concluded tri-series, but it's past and both teams will start afresh. They've been rocked with injuries - Lockie Ferguson has been ruled out of the tournament while Rachin Ravindra, who suffered a freak injury on his forehead days ago, could be a non-starter. Pakistan though have been boosted by the return of full fitness for Haris Rauf and that'll make their middle-over bowling attack look menacing. Karachi's National Stadium, one of the three hosting venues that got spruced up ahead of the tournament will play hosts to today's game, one which promises to be full of runs. Toss and team news coming up shortly..

Preview

Cricket has long been Pakistan's most potent expression of nationalism. Despite systemic challenges and internal rifts, an endless conveyor belt of talent continues to fuel the attractiveness of the sport. Cricket remains Pakistan's most visible global identity, and the PCB was never going to let the chance to host the 2025 Champions Trophy slip away. The administrators have taken their due, with four recent chiefs of the board squeezing some space for themselves on a front-row couch in a show of unity, to welcome the tournament home.

The stadiums are ready, security clearances are in place, and for now, the frosty relationship with the BCCI is on hold. Wall of fame has been unveiled, past greats have been celebrated and amidst all the loud fanfare of what's turned into a national project, quite ironically, the two most influential figures of Pakistan's cricket history - Imran Khan and Shaiza Khan - have been given a quiet miss. Nonetheless, finally, after a 29-year wait, Pakistan is set to host its first ICC tournament. The attention, for a few weeks at least, will shift from the off-field shenanigans to the performances of the Mohammad Rizwan-led side. The captain and coach have managed to hold their positions for over three months, a feat in itself, and the buzz is undeniable. But for a cricket-loving nation, nothing short of a title will suffice. The championship has to be defended.

In that bid, they've made some interesting selection calls ahead of the tournament, and tested it against South Africa and New Zealand briefly. Only one frontline spinner, an alteration in the batting position of their best batter and two surprising inclusions. These shuffles have been par for course for a while but the most interesting change has been their aggressive approach with the bat. It may have not helped them win the tri-series, but it did help them chase down their record total, and most significantly, promises to offer an entertaining showcase of their cricketing potential.

Standing in their way first are New Zealand, a team that has beaten them in the last two encounters in the tri-series, and a team that has played seven ODIs since the start of 2023 at the same venue. For all of Pakistan's familiarity to home conditions, it is the Mitchell Santner-led team that walks into the contest with head-to-head form on their side as well as ample familiarity to the challenges of the venue.

That said, New Zealand have their own set of challenges to deal with after having been hit though with a slew of injuries just days ahead of the tournament. Lockie Ferguson and Ben Sears have been ruled out, and Rachin Ravindra is yet to return after being hit on his head while fielding.

Given the format of the tournament which leaves little room for error, for warm-ups and second chances, both teams would have hoped to have settled more in their preparations. But with the tournament finally here, there's no more time for adjustments. The stage is set, narratives are in motion and only performances on matchday will matter.

When: Wednesday, Feb 19, 2025, 14:00 Local Time (14:30 IST)

Where: Pakistan vs New Zealand, Match 1, National Stadium, Karachi

What to expect: It's been a high-scoring venue, with the average first innings score of 289. Of the 19 venues that have hosted at least six ODIs since January 2023, it is the second highest scoring venue after Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium. However, there is no distinct advantage for winning the toss. In the last eight games played at the venue, teams batting first and bowling first have won four times each.

Team News:

Pakistan: Haris Rauf, who had sustained a muscular strain in his lower chest wall during the recently-concluded tri-series, was declared available for the opening game of Champions Trophy. He has also resumed practice in the nets.

Probable XI: Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam/Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Agha, Tayyab Tahir, Khushdil Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf

New Zealand: Lockie Ferguson has been ruled out of the tournament. Kyle Jamieson has been roped in as his replacement. Meanwhile, Rachin Ravindra, who had sustained a face injury during the tri-series has resumed his practise, but his availability is yet to be confirmed.

Probable XI: Will Young/Rachin Ravindra, Devon Conway, Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham, Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner, Matt Henry, Nathan Smith/Jacob Duffy, Will O'Rourke

Did you know?

Lahore's National Stadium has hosted 8 matches since the start of 2023, seven of being played between Pakistan and New Zealand

Devon Conway has struggled against Naseem Shah, getting thrice in three games against the pacer

Tom Latham, who hasn't been in the best of forms in 2025, has stroked three fifties across seven innings at the National Stadium

Squads: