New Zealand play their first ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 Super 12 match in Group 2 against Pakistan, who began their campaign with a historic win against India. It will be a cracker of a game going by the recent turn of events when the Black Caps pulled out of a bilateral series in Pakistan.
New Zealand are playing their first match of the tournament, and will be keen to start strongly. They have batters who can clear the ropes at the top and in the middle, a reliable anchor in Kane Williamson, tall fast bowlers, quciks who can swing the new ball, and a spin attack with plenty of experience.
Get the latest from Kane Williamson and Gary Stead ahead of the team's opening match of the @T20WorldCup against @TheRealPCB. Follow play LIVE in NZ from 3am NZT Wednesday morning on @skysportnz with highlights on @sparknzsport. #T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/t0uZwoIjV3
— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) October 26, 2021
It took 13 attempts for Pakistan to finally get a win against India in World Cups, but when they did on Sunday, it was emphatic. The manner of their 10-wicket win, as much as the result, will give Pakistan confidence in their abilities as well as their plans for the rest of the tournament.
Match Details
Pakistan vs New Zealand, Match 19, Super 12 Group 2
Venue: Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah
Date & Time: October 26th, at 7:30 PM IST
Pitch Report
The Sri Lanka-Bangladesh and Afghanistan-Scotland fixtures have shown that there are runs for the taking on these pitches, which at least now haven’t slowed down to the extent seen during the IPL. So expect teams to prefer chasing and utilize the dew and the short straight boundaries.
Pakistan vs New Zealand – Predicted Playing XI
Pakistan: Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Babar Azam (c), Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Asif Ali, Shadab Khan, Imad Wasim, Hasan Ali, Haris Rauf, Shaheen Afridi
New Zealand: Tim Seifert (wk), Martin Guptill, Kane Williamson (c), Devon Conway, Glenn Phillips, Jimmy Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee / Kyle Jamieson, Trent Boult, Lockie Ferguson
Pakistan vs New Zealand – Fantasy Team Suggestions
Fantasy Team 1: Tim Seifert, Mohammad Rizwan, Martin Guptill (c), Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam (vc), Shadab Khan, Mitchell Santner, Lockie Ferguson, Trent Boult, Haris Rauf, Shaheen Afridi
Fantasy Team 2: Devon Conway (vc), Mohammad Rizwan (c), Kane Williamson, Glenn Phillips, Babar Azam, Mohammad Hafeez, Jimmy Neesham, Shadab Khan, Ish Sodhi, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali
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