ICC WC 2023: New Zealand vs Pakistan: Preview & Prediction

The ICC Cricket World Cup is entering its end stage with teams fighting it out intensely to enter into the top four. The pressure is more on the teams placed in the bottom half of the table, especially on teams like Pakistan and Afghanistan who have a very strong chance of claiming the fourth spot with the top three almost confirmed. In this aspect, the 35th match between New Zealand and Pakistan is of utmost importance. In this article, we will look at all the aspects of the match. 

New Zealand

New Zealand is in a peculiar situation after losing three matches on the trot and is in desperate need of a win against Pakistan to get their campaign back on track. They lost their last game against South Africa by a big margin which has damaged their net run rate significantly and has given Pakistan a real chance to make it to the top four.

 It was as one side as a match can be as the Black caps looked flat in the field. To add to the misery fast bowler Matt Henry injured himself while bowling and had to leave the field in the middle of the over. 

With Lockie Ferguson already out injured, it would be interesting to see if Kyle Jameson is drafted straight into the playing 11 against Pakistan or will the team go with Ish Sodhi as the extra spinner

Sodhi in ODIs in 2023

Pakistan

For Pakistan, the match against New Zealand is a do-or-die encounter because if they lose against New Zealand then they will be eliminated from the tournament. But the Babar Azam-led side won’t be thinking about that, especially after the way the team played against Bangladesh in the last match and would look to continue their performance against New Zealand

Predicted Playing XI:

New Zealand

Devon Conway, Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (c & wk), Glenn Phillips, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Trent Boult 

Pakistan

Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Agha Salman, Shaheen Afridi, Usama Mir, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Haris Rauf 

Squads

Pakistan

Babar Azam (C), Shadab Khan (VC), Fakhar Zaman, Imam ul Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Agha Salman, Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Hassan Ali, Mohammad Wasim Jr. 

New Zealand

Kane Williamson (c),  Trent Boult, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitch Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Will Young. 

Venue and team stats

In ICC ODI World Cup matches, New Zealand has a 2-7 win-loss ratio against Pakistan. 

The highest run chase achieved at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium is Ireland’s 329-7 against England in the 2011 World Cup.

New Zealand has now lost three matches in a row and needs to win both their last two matches to guarantee a semi-final place

Match Information

Match Result Prediction: Pakistan to Win

Toss Prediction: Win the Toss and Bat first

Top Batters: Daryl Mitchell (New Zealand)

Fakhar Zaman (Pakistan)

Top Bowlers: Trent Boult (New Zealand) 

Shaheen Afridi (Pakistan)

Pakistan vs New Zealand head-to-head in ODIs

Dream 11 Fantasy Team 

Weather Condition

The weather in Bengaluru will be mostly cloudy, with a couple of showers and a thunderstorm in the afternoon. 

Pitch Report

The pitch at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium is generally pretty flat. The ball comes on nicely to the bat, and batters can easily hit through the line once they have spent a little time on the crease. Fast bowlers will get some help at the start but will have to judiciously use their slower ones. 

Image Credit: myKhel

Cricket World Cup Points Table after 32nd Match

Teams are split on points, then by number of wins and then net run-rate. Top four qualify for semi-finals 

Leading Run Scorers after 32nd Match

Leading Wicket Takers after 32nd Match