It is still quite surreal for fans to come to terms with the fact that Pakistan has miraculously reached the semi-final. The team that panicked in the last three overs against India and suffered a shocking loss to Zimbabwe, then went on to beat South Africa, whose loss to the Netherlands opened up the doors for Pakistan to enter the semis.
They will take on a very complete unit in New Zealand, whose 5-man bowling attack has been clinical, and more positive news for them is that skipper Kane Williamson showed all signs of a return to his best – runs plus healthy strike rate – in the last group game.
NZ vs PAK pitch report, date, and time
Venue: Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney
NZ vs PAK pitch and weather report
The SCG surface has been excellent for teams batting first; 4 of the top 10 totals in the tournament have been scored here. Rilee Rossouw and Glenn Phillips have struck centuries at the SCG batting first.
However, bowlers have come into play as the games have progressed. This underlines why teams batting first have won by big margins in some matches. Pacers and spinners will have their say, especially in the second innings.
There’s a 22% chance of showers on Wednesday morning. But expect a result as the match is likely to be completed. For semi-finals and final, 10 overs per side is the minimum requirement for a result, while in the group games it was five overs per side.
NZ vs PAK predicted playing XI
Both New Zealand and Pakistan are unlikely to make any changes to their winning combination.
New Zealand predicted XI:
Finn Allen, Devon Conway(wk), Kane Williamson (c), Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, Lockie Ferguson, Trent Boult
Pakistan predicted XI:
Mohammad Rizwan(wk), Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Haris, Shan Masood, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Shaheen Afridi
NZ vs PAK match prediction: New Zealand to win the semi-final
We are predicting New Zealand to win the semi-final against Pakistan. Pakistan have problems in their batting line-up, which start from the top with the form and rate Rizwan and Babar have batted so far. We feel that New Zealand’s bowling attack, which includes variety, potency, and smarts, might just be too much for the mercurial, largely out-of-place-in-Australian-conditions Pakistani batting order.
Disclaimer: This prediction is based on the understanding, analysis, knowledge, and instinct of the writer. While making your prediction, consider the points mentioned, and make your own decision.
