T20 World Cup 2021: Match 19 – Pakistan vs New Zealand Match Preview, Playing XI and broadcast details

Can New Zealand open their account in the T20 World Cup with a victory, or will the Pakistan juggernaut continue to roll on?

Published - 25 Oct 2021, 20:44 IST | Updated - 25 Oct 2021, 20:44 IST

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Pakistan will be on Cloud Nine going into their clash against the New Zealand side that will take place on 26th October 2021. Babar Azam and his men played arguably the ‘perfect match’ in their opening T20 World Cup encounter against India, and hammered the Virat Kohli-led outfit with 10 wickets to spare.

Babar Azam roaring in ecstasy and the Pakistan players jumping up in joy are the scenes that stood out from the high-octane India versus Pakistan clash. And of course, the tears of joy rolling down the cheeks of Babar Azam’s father hogged the limelight as well.

With the ball, Shaheen Afridi was outstanding against India. The 21-year-old left-arm speedster displayed control and guile and picked up 3 Indian wickets to put the brakes on the Indian scoring rate.

Hasan Ali scalped a couple of wickets, while the likes of Shadab Khan and Haris Rauf picked up a wicket each as well. The way Pakistan approached the target of 152 set by India was commendable. Both Pakistan openers, Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam did not let the enormity of the occasion get to them.

Both openers approached the target in a calm manner, and systematically dismantled the Indian bowling attack. Both openers scored half-centuries, as Pakistan whipped the Indian side with all wickets intact in their opening rubber. Even though Fakhar Zaman did not come out to bat against India, the left-hander is in good form. Zaman played confidently in both the warm-up matches that preceded the tournament.

While the left-hander scored 46* against the West Indies in Pakistan’s first warm-up match, Zaman scored a quickfire 52 in the second warm-up rubber against South Africa. And then, come Mohammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik who carry with them a plethora of experience in the T20I format of the game. Hafeez and Malik have together represented Pakistan in a whopping 230 T20I matches.

On the other hand, this will be the first match for the New Zealand side in the tournament. New Zealand have lost both the warm-up matches that they played coming into their clash against Pakistan. While the Black Caps went down to Australia in their first warm-up rubber by 3 wickets, they lost to England by 13 runs in their second warm-up match.

New Zealand’s frontline spinners, Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi have been impressive in the two warm-up matches. While Santner scalped a three-wicket haul against the Australian side, Sodhi dismissed 3 willow wielders against England.

Tim Southee and Kyle Jamieson leaked a lot of runs in both warm-up matches, while left-arm seamer Trent Boult was impressive in the warm-up rubber against Australia, picking up 2 wickets in his 3 overs, giving away only 13 runs.

On the batting front, Martin Guptill provided blazing starts for the Kiwis in both warm-up matches. While the right-hander scored a 20-ball 41 against England, Guptill scored 30 off 20 deliveries against Australia.

The legendary Kane Williamson and Devon Conway got off to starts in the warm-up matches, while James Neesham scored a brisk 18-ball 31 against Australia. Glenn Philips failed to get going and scored in single digits in both the warm-up matches.

So, Pakistan will be upbeat after scripting history against India, while the Black Caps will be hoping to start their campaign in the 2021 T20 World Cup on a winning note. Can New Zealand open their account in the T20 World Cup with a victory, or will the Pakistan juggernaut continue to roll on?

Pitch and Conditions

The chasing team has won all the 3 matches that have taken place in Sharjah in the 2021 T20 World Cup, and that should give an indication to both captains as to what they should do if the toss goes in their favour. Also, the batsmen will get value for their shots on this surface, as was evident in the match between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Spinners will also get some purchase on this track.

Playing Combination for Pakistan vs New Zealand

Pakistan

After a rousing victory over the Indian side, there is absolutely no need for Pakistan to chop and change. They are likely to go in with the same playing XI from their previous match.

Predicted XI: Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Asif Ali, Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Hasan Ali, Haris Rauf, Shaheen Afridi

New Zealand

Martin Guptill and wicketkeeper Tim Siefert will open the batting for the Black Caps. Skipper Kane Williamson will come in at No.3, while Devon Conway and Glenn Phillips will walk in at No.4 and No.5 respectively.

All-rounders James Neesham and Mitchell Santner will occupy the next two slots. The four bowlers who are likely to take the field are Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, Trent Boult, and Lockie Ferguson.

Predicted XI: Martin Guptill, Tim Seifert (wk), Kane Williamson (c), Devon Conway, Glenn Phillips, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, Trent Boult, Lockie Ferguson