Hasan Ali is playing in place of Usama Mir; Kiwis induct Kane Williamson in must-win game
Saturday, November 04, 2023
Babar Azam says they bowled well in past games.
My prep has been somewhat restricted, says Kiwi captain.
Pakistan should win today to fit the bill for semi-last.
Pakistan captain Babar Azam on Saturday won the throw and chose to bowl first in the must-dominate match against New Zealand played at Bengaluru's M.Chinnaswamy Arena.
The group rolled out one improvement accepting Hasan Ali instead of Usama Mir while the Kiwis rolled out three improvements in the crew. Ish Sodhi, Imprint Chapman and Kane Williamson are playing today instead of James Neesham, Matt Henry and Will Youthful.
When requested to remark on his arrangement, Williamson said: "My own prep has been marginally restricted however good to be back."
Notwithstanding, Babar Azam seemed certain of his bowlers, saying "we bowled well in past matches".
🚨 TOSS & PLAYING XI 🚨
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) November 4, 2023
Pakistan win the toss and opt to field first 🏏
One change to our playing XI 👇#NZvPAK | #CWC23 | #DattKePakistani pic.twitter.com/nqkhjmHqbN
The winner of today's match will become a strong candidate for advancing to the semi-finals.
Pakistan suffered four humiliating defeats against India, Australia, Afghanistan and South Africa. However, they gave some hope to the fans by beating Bangladesh by seven wickets in their last match in Kolkata.
On the other hand, despite a bright start and four wins from four at one point, the Black Caps suffered three consecutive defeats — India, Australia and South Africa.
A defeat to any of the teams today would seriously damage their chances of being in the semi-finals of the event, especially Pakistan as they not only lag behind in Net Run Rate (NRR) but now also have to rely on Afghanistan's innings after Hashmatullah Shahidi's men secured their spot. an important win against the Netherlands on Friday.
A day earlier, team manager Mickey Arthur had expressed that they were focused on both winning the game and improving their clean sheet. He also hinted at a change in Pakistan's game plan.
Pakistan are likely to play with four pacers given the favorable pace in Bengaluru, but a decision will be taken after closely monitoring the pitch and weather conditions today. They have only two players - Shadab Khan and Imam-ul-Haq - who remain doubtful for tonight's clash, while the Black Caps will be without pacer Matt Henry and the participation of Lockie Ferguson, Kane Williamson and Mark Chapman remain doubtful.
Field report
The pitch at M Chinnaswamy Stadium favors batting as it is easy to score runs due to short boundaries and a fast outfield. The Bengaluru surface is also popular for pacers, but looking at tomorrow's weather forecast, where there is a 50% chance of rain, especially in the second half of the game, winning the toss would be key.
Mutual record
The two sides have faced each other nine times in the history of the ODI World Cup, with Pakistan emerging victorious on seven occasions. New Zealand's highest total against the Green Shirts is 302, while Pakistan's highest is 281. In total, Pakistan and the Kiwis have played each other 115 times in one-day cricket, and the Men in Green also lead there with 60 wins compared to the Black Caps' 51.
Playing XI
Pakistan: Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Agha Salman, Mohammad Wasim, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf.
New Zealand: Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Kane Williamson (c), Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (wk), Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Trent Boult
