New Zealand opener Will Young drove Shaheen Afridi through the tires to beat Infield where Zaman put into pursuit. He cut it off before palming it over to Babar Azam to throw it back to the keeper, but immediately seemed to feel discomfort in the crucifix. He signaled that he should be replaced and treated, and went off the field with physio and went without the help of the dressing room.

Pakistan was hampered by an injury to Saim Ayub under similar circumstances, one that eventually kept him out of Champions Trophy. In a test against South Africa, he put out in the pursuit of a ball to the border before he eventually twists his ankle. It resulted in a bride that will keep him out until at least mid -March. Zaman, who until then was not part of Pakistan’s ODD plans, came back in the side as Ayub’s replacement and had made an impressive return and scored 84 out of 598 and 41 out of 25 in his first two games back in the side.

The game marks the return of the ICC tournament crick to Pakistan for the first time since 1996, with huge crowds building up outside the national stadium in Karachi in the hours before the start. The opening ceremony participated in Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari and had an Air Force fly parade after the thrown, which Pakistan won and asked New Zealand to beat.