Pakistan are all set to take on unbeaten New Zealand in a must win game of World T20 here at Mohali on Tuesday.
New Zealand, who beat India by 47 runs, prevailed over Australia by eight runs and plays Bangladesh in its final Group B Super 10s fixture, is best placed to top the table and enter the semis.
But Pakistan, who has had mixed fortunes so far, believes it could be in with a serious chance to be the other semifinalist from the pool if it beats Kane Williamson’s men at the PCA IS Bindra Stadium on Tuesday (March 22).
Pakistan’s 55-run win against Bangladesh was a complete performance, as the top order made runs and the bowlers delivered. Against India, it was possibly a spinner short in defending 118 as Virat Kohli produced a masterclass.
But, form and conditions hardly are a factor when it comes to Pakistan. The more the odds are against the side, the deeper it digs to surprise everyone.
Shahid Afridi, the captain, who has been a part of many such spectacular turnarounds, was in familiar territory when he came for the pre-match press conference, and he was confident in backing his side.
“As a captain, I am just concerned about my team’s and my performance. I have belief in my and team’s ability that we will make the best use of our skills in tomorrow’s game,” he added. “New Zealand are a good team, they have been playing good cricket for a few years now, but conditions are different. It’s also a different event and we have the hunger to win the next match.”
With both teams fully tuned on, the expected full house is sure to get its money’s worth.
Teams (from):
New Zealand: Kane Williamson (capt), Corey Anderson, Trent Boult, Martin Guptill, Grant Elliott, Colin Munro, Mitchell McClenaghan, Nathan McCullum, Ross Taylor, Adam Milne, Henry Nicholls, Luke Ronchi, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee.
Pakistan: Shahid Afridi (capt), Ahmed Shehzad, Sharjeel Khan, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Umar Akmal, Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), Imad Wasim, Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Irfan, Anwar Ali, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Sami, Khalid Latif.
