The New Zealand cricket team will be looking to get back to winning ways against Pakistan in Match 35 of the ICC ODI World Cup 2023. The M.Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru will host the exciting clash on Saturday, November 4. They need a couple of wins to seal a place in the knockout round of the tournament.
New Zealand are placed fourth on the table with eight points from seven matches. They are on a three-match losing streak in the tournament after winning their first four games. On the other hand, Pakistan are fifth on the table with six points from seven matches. They need to win against New Zealand to stay alive in the race. However, their qualification depends on the results of other teams as well.
In this article, we take a look at the key player battles for the Pakistan vs New Zealand match in the ICC ODI World Cup 2023.
ICC Cricket World Cup 2023: Key Player Battles for PAK vs NZ
Tom Latham vs Shaheen Afridi
New Zealand skipper Tom Latham and Pakistan pacer Shaheen Afridi have played against each other on seven occasions in One-Day Internationals. Latham hasn’t been able to get going against Shaheen so far. He has scored just 25 runs in 42 deliveries, at a strike rate of 59.5. Meanwhile, Shaheen has dismissed him twice in the format. So far in the tournament, the pacer has taken 16 wickets in seven matches, while Latham has scored 151 runs at an average of 30.20.
Daryl Mitchell vs Gerald Coetzee
Daryl Mitchell has been one of the most consistent players in the tournament. He is New Zealand’s second-leading run-scorer so far. In seven matches, he has scored 346 runs at an average of 69.20, including a century and two fifties. He will be facing Gerald Coetzee who has also been in good form picking 14 wickets in six matches, at an economy rate of 6.85.
Babar Azam vs Trent Boult
Babar Azam has struggled to score big in the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 so far. He has slammed three fifties but hasn’t been able to convert them into centuries. In seven matches, he has scored 216 runs at an average of 30.85, and a strike rate of 77.69. He will be keen to get a big one against New Zealand. However, he has to be wary of veteran pacer Trent Boult. In seven matches, Boult has taken 10 wickets at an economy rate of 5.09.
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