The much-awaited ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 kicked off on Thursday, September 5 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The second match of the tournament will witness Pakistan taking on the Netherlands on Friday, September 10 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.
The two teams haven’t played a lot against each other. However, in whatever matches they have played, Pakistan has always had the upper hand. They are unbeaten against the Netherlands in ODIs winning all six matches played so far, including three in ICC tournaments. It will be interesting to see if they maintain their winning record, or if the Netherlands pull off an upset.
In this article, we take a look at the key player battles for the Pakistan vs Netherlands match of the ICC ODI World Cup.
ICC Cricket World Cup 2023: Key Player Battles for PAK vs NED
Babar Azam vs Aryan Dutt
Babar Azam is the best batter in Pakistan cricket at the moment and will be key for them in the ICC ODI Cricket World Cup 2023. He is their leading run-scorer in ODI cricket this year, with 745 runs at an average of 49.66, with two centuries and six fifties. However, he will have to be wary of Netherlands bowler Aryan Dutt who has dismissed him twice in three matches. Babar has an average of against the off-break bowler and a strike rate of 64.9.
Fakhar Zaman vs Bas de Leede
Fakhar Zaman hasn’t been in the best of forms off late. He has struggled to make an impact since the 2023 Asia Cup last month. However, overall he has a good record this year scoring two centuries, including an unbeaten 180 against New Zealand. He will be facing Bas de Leede against the Netherlands in their opening match of the World Cup. Leede has been the leading wicket-taker for the Dutch this year. He has picked up 15 wickets in seven matches, including 5/52 against Scotland.
Max O’Dowd vs Shaheen Shah Afridi
Max O’Dowd is a vital cog in the wheel for the Netherlands at the top of the order. He has been in good form this year for them scoring 503 runs at an average of 38.69, with three fifties. For the Netherlands to make an impact in the tournament, Max O’Dowd has to fire at the top. However, he will have to tackle Shaheen Afridi’s fierce bowling. The pacer has taken 24 wickets this year at an average of 22.04 including a four-wicket haul.
Get the latest cricket news here, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more such updates.
