SYDNEY: New Zealand captain Kane Williamson won the toss and opted to bat first against Pakistan in the first semi-final of the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 here at Sydney Cricket Ground in Sydney on Wednesday.
Pakistan qualified for the semi-finals by defeating Bangladesh in their final Super 12 encounter. South Africa’s loss to the Netherlands was also crucial in Pakistan’s advancement to the semi-finals. New Zealand, on the other hand, topped Group 1.
New Zealand have excelled as a unit across the three different phases. From Finn Allen’s Powerplay exploits to Glenn Phillips’ calculated onslaughts, New Zealand’s batting packs quite a punch.
The Kiwis can bat deep and have batters for any situation. The bowling attack includes a left-arm quick bowler who excels in the Powerplay, a swing bowler, a high-end pace bowler who hits the deck hard, and two types of spinners.
On the other hand, having defeated New Zealand in New Zealand to win the tri-series trophy, Pakistan will be looking for a win with the momentum they have built over the last couple of Super 12 matches.
Pakistan will present hurdles, but there is no doubt that the Black Caps are up to the task, making for an exciting game on paper.
Speaking at a time of toss, New Zealand captain Kane Williamson said, “We are gonna have bat. Used surface. We’ve got the same team. It’s important we assess to the changing conditions quickly. Our focus is on this game.”
Speaking at a time of toss, Pakistan captain Babar Azam, “Even we would have batted first. Same team. We are confident as a team and we’ll look to carry the momentum. They have quality players, we’ll try to be calm. We are trying to focus on this game.”
New Zealand (Playing XI): Finn Allen, Devon Conway(w), Kane Williamson(c), Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, Lockie Ferguson and Trent Boult.
Pakistan (Playing XI): Mohammad Rizwan(w), Babar Azam(c), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Haris, Shan Masood, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf and Shaheen Afridi. (ANI)
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