New Zealand vs Pakistan is one of the games with extremely high stakes left in the league stage of the World Cup. Till some days ago, it looked like the four semi-finalists were locked in, with New Zealand in there and Pakistan just out. Things have changed since, and this fixture becomes a battle for the top four.
And in the middle of the pitch, Pakistan won the toss and elected to bowl first.
FOLLOW: New Zealand vs Pakistan Live Score
Pakistan are in a more precarious position, needing both points and favours already. Placed fifth with fourth defeats on the trot, a morale-boosting win against Bangladesh revived their chances which were further boosted the next night when South Africa inflicted a crushing defeat on the Kiwis. A win and two points is all both would be focussed on, for now, albeit Mickey Arthur did admit to keeping over-by-over NRR scenarios handy in his pocket.
New Zealand’s campaign, which started off on a massive high, derailed with a spate of injuries to key players – starting with Kane Williamson’s broken thumb in the very game he made his international comeback after ACL recovery. Consecutive defeats has pushed New Zealand further down the table from dominance, but they will find a bit more of a fighting spirit today as talisman batter and skipper Kane Williamson makes his return to the squad.
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Captain’s Comments:
Kane Williamson (NZ): Slightly different looking surface to what we expect here. We will try to put a competitive target and adapt to the conditions. Nice to be back out here, obviously few niggles in the camp and the guys are very excited for the challenge today. We have 2 changes. Ish Sodhi comes in for Matt Henry and I come in for Will Young. Looks like it might take some turn. For us, it’s about sticking to our plans and adapting to conditions as best as we can.
Babar Azam (PAK): We will have a bowl first because of moisture on the surface. We have good bowling and we are trying to hit good lengths and execute our plans. We have one change. Usama Mir is not playing and Hasan Ali is playing. I’m feeling good (with the form), but not been able to finish games, I will try my best to enjoy myself and looking forward to the game.
Playing XIs:
New Zealand:
Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Kane Williamson(c), Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham(w), Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Trent Boult
Pakistan:
Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam(c), Mohammad Rizwan(w), Iftikhar Ahmed, Saud Shakeel, Agha Salman, Shaheen Afridi, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Haris Rauf
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