SYDNEY: Pakistan is set to face New Zealand in the first semi-final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup at the Sydney Cricket Stadium today (Wednesday) — seeking a spot in the final of the major cricketing event.
Pakistan will face the Kiwis for the fourth time in a World Cup semi-final, scheduled to start at 1 pm. The two sides have clashed six times in the T20 World Cup history, and Pakistan triumphed in four matches, while New Zealand won two.
India and England will play the second semi-final at the Adelaide Oval stadium in Adelaide on Thursday.
The Black Caps practiced in Sydney before the big game of the mega cricket event. But, the Pakistani players took a rest, except for skipper Babar Azam, who practiced alone for one and a half hours.
The Men in Green seem confident as they have won their last three Group matches. They will take on New Zealand with the same winning combination. Similarly, the Black Caps are unlikely to make any changes to the squad.
Pakistan
But Pakistan conjured up a dominant performance to hammer South Africa and revive their semi-final hopes, while the Dutch did them a favor by stunning South Africa.
Babar Azam’s team won a do-or-die clash against Bangladesh to enter the final four, with pace spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi returning with career-best figures of 4-22.
However, Azam’s form remains a worry, with the opener managing just 39 total runs in the last five matches.
New Zealand
The Black Caps had a resounding start to the tournament with an 89-run thrashing of defending champions and hosts Australia, setting the tone for their campaign so far.
A washout against Afghanistan did not stop their momentum. They thrashed Sri Lanka with Glenn Phillips smashing the second century of this World Cup with his 64-ball 104.
New Zealand faltered in their chase of 180 against England but regrouped to outplay minnows Ireland as skipper Kane Williamson struck form with a quickfire 61.
Last year’s beaten finalists topped the tougher of the two Super 12 groups on net run rate, from pre-tournament favoritess Australia and England to underline their dangers.
Lineups
Pakistan: Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Haris, Shan Masood, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Wasim, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf.
New Zealand: Finn Allen, Devon Conway (wk), Kane Williamson (c), Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Ish Sodhi, Lockie Ferguson.
