New Zealand batter Mark Chapman, who missed the second ODI against Pakistan after a hamstring injury, will be absent from the third and final match of the series on Saturday at Mount Maunganui.

 

Tim Seifert, who replaced Chapman in the second ODI, will continue to fill in for him in the final game.

 

Chapman sustained a minor hamstring tear while fielding during the series opener in Napier and was ruled out of the second ODI in Hamilton after failing to recover sufficiently.

 

New Zealand Cricket confirmed on Friday that Chapman would not be fit for the final match of the series. An assessment following a training session revealed that Chapman had not made enough progress in his recovery.

 

Before being sidelined by the injury, Chapman had played a key role in New Zealand's victory over Pakistan in the opening ODI, where he scored a career-best 132 runs. His performance was instrumental in securing a resounding 73-run win for the Blackcaps. Despite his absence in the second ODI, New Zealand comfortably extended their series lead to 2–0, making the final match a dead rubber.

 

The second ODI saw New Zealand dominate in all aspects of the game, with Mitchell Hay remaining unbeaten on 99*, and Pakistan's batting order collapsing under the pressure. Ben Sears, in particular, was a nightmare for the Pakistan batters, claiming a maiden five-wicket haul. The Pakistani top order struggled, with only Tayyab Tahir (13) reaching double figures. The rest of the batting lineup, including big names like Babar Azam (1), Abdullah Shafique (1), and Mohammad Rizwan (5), were dismissed for single-digit scores.

 

Chapman's replacement, Tim Seifert, had been in sensational form during the preceding five-match T20I series against Pakistan.

 

Seifert had been the top scorer of the series, accumulating 249 runs at a blistering strike rate of 207.50. His outstanding performances played a significant role in New Zealand's 4–1 triumph over Pakistan. Despite his recent success in the T20Is, Seifert has not featured in an ODI for New Zealand in over five years, with his last appearance dating back to January 2019 against Sri Lanka.

 

With the series already decided, New Zealand will look to seal a 3–0 whitewash in the final match on Saturday, even as they manage injuries to key players like Chapman and Latham.