Probably the mother of all battles in this World Cup in the context of the semis. Teams hanging around 3,4,5,6 positions will have a keen eye on this match, especially Afghanistan. This game can make or break the hopes of any nation making it to the semis. Net Run Rate will also be in consideration by the team management, if they lose, they should make sure that their run out won’t get hurt too much.
New Zealand started the tournament with a bang winning all first four matches, but since then have gone downhill, losing consecutive 3 matches, and have found themselves on the edge of their seats.
Pakistan lost 4 consecutive matches in the World Cup which made their semi-final path hard, but now have defeated Bangladesh and are now high on confidence. In the encounter against Bangladesh, batters and bowlers kicked all the boxes.
Team Preview
New Zealand
New Zealand have called up Kyle Jamieson as a reserve player, as Matt Henry and Lockie Ferguson are suffering from injury. The injured player list is long including players like Kane Williamson, Mark Chapman, James Neesham, Matt Henry, and Lockie Ferguson. It would be interesting to see how New Zealand get 11 players fit. There are plenty of problems in all three departments.
Pakistan
Fakhar Zaman has shown the right intent for the Pakistani batting lineup. In his comeback innings, he smashed 7 sixes, which is the third highest in the Pakistani team. The inclusion of Mohammad Wasim Jr has been a boon for the Pakistani team. Shaheen Shah Afridi is their MVP of the tournament bagging 16 wickets in the tournament. Babar Azam needs to set up for his nation, he is performing below his potential.
Probable Playing XI
New Zealand: Will Young, Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham(wk,c), Gleen Philips, Mitch Santner, Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, Trent Boult, Matt Henry/Lockie Ferguson.
Ish Sodhi can come in for James Neesham to strengthen bowling, while all other players’ participation depends on fitness.
Pakistan: Fakhar Zaman, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam(c), Mohammad Rizwan(wk), Iftikhar Ahmed, Agha Salman, Usama Mir, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf.
Shadab Khan can come in for Usama Mir, but this is unlikely to happen.
Pitch Report
Chinnaswamy has always been a batting paradise and is expected to be the same. Batting first could be beneficial here as it is a day game, so no dew factor to come into play. Bat first sensibly score as much as possible. Runs on board is always pressure for any batting lineup.
Players To Watch Out For
Shaheen Shah Afridi: The Eagle is flying high in this World Cup. He has taken 16 wickets with an average of 19.94. Whenever Captain Babar Azam needs to break a partnership, he looks for the No.1 ODI Bowler in the world and he delivers to the expectation of the captain. Alongside the other two quickies, Shaheen would hope to keep on delivering for the nation.
Abdullah Shafique: Pakistan media’s “Generational Talent” has proven himself at the biggest cricketing stage. He has scored four 50+ scores in the tournament. He has scored the most sixes for them. With Fakhar Zaman playing aggressively from the start removing pressure, Shafique can take some time and try to score big.
Glenn Philips: Glenn is a player all the teams crave, he can bat, ball, keep and also is a gun fielder. He has taken 6 wickets till now, which is too good for a part timer. Whenever Tom Latham needs a wicket, Philips provide him one. He fought alone by batting for the betterment of the run rate. New Zealand would want him to contribute in both batting and bowling so that they can secure a semi-final spot.
NZ vs PAK Dream11 Team for Match 35 of 2023 WC
Note: This is not our final Dream11 Team as we are not aware of the Toss Result/Final Playing XI of both teams at this moment.
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