ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023: Can New Zealand break their 3-match losing streak as they face Pakistan next?
After India’s stellar win over Sri Lanka, the hosts have become the first team to qualify for the semi-finals of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023. With three spots up for grabs and mathematically eight other teams, except Bangladesh, eligible to qualify for the knock-outs, the match between New Zealand and Pakistan garners a lot of importance. It is likely that only either of the teams will make it to the semi-finals, given the imperious form in which South Africa and Australia are playing, the two teams that will advance to the semi-final along with India.
The 35th match of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 will take place between New Zealand and Pakistan at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on November 4.
Head-to-Head
New Zealand and Pakistan have played 115 ODIs against each other since 1973, of which New Zealand have won 51, Pakistan have won 60, one match ended in a tie, and three matches did not produce results. In India, they have played two ODIs against each other and New Zealand have won both. At the World Cups, Pakistan lead by 7-2 against the Kiwis.
| Particulars | New Zealand | Pakistan |
| ICC ODI Rankings | 5 | 3 |
| Wins in ODIs | 51 | 60 |
| In India | 2 | 0 |
| At World Cups | 2 | 7 |
Performance in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 so far..
New Zealand and Pakistan will play their eighth match of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023. Of the seven matches, New Zealand have won four and Pakistan have won three. While New Zealand may have a better chance of qualifying for the semi-final, the biggest worry for them is that they have lost their last three matches on the trot.
| Match number | New Zealand | Pakistan |
| 1 | Beat England by 9 wickets | Beat Netherlands by 81 runs |
| 2 | Beat Netherlands by 99 runs | Beat Sri Lanka by 6 wickets |
| 3 | Beat Bangladesh by 8 wickets | Lost to India by 7 wickets |
| 4 | Beat Afghanistan by 149 runs | Lost to Australia by 62 runs |
| 5 | Lost to India by 4 wickets | Lost to Afghanistan by 8 wickets |
| 6 | Lost to Australia by 5 runs | Lost to South Africa by 1 wicket |
| 7 | Lost to South Africa by 190 runs | Beat Bangladesh by 7 wickets |
Squads
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.
Pakistan: Babar Azam (c), Shadab Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Mohammad Rizwan, Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Salman Ali Agha, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Wasim.
Injury updates
New Zealand’s right arm medium fast bowler Matt Henry has been ruled out of the World Cup due to a right hamstring injury sustained during Wednesday’s match against South Africa in Pune. He has been replaced by Kyle Jamieson. Besides, New Zealand’s right arm speedster Lockie Ferguson is nursing right Achilles heel, however there is no significant damage and is likely to play against Pakistan. Captain Kane Williamson and Mark Chapman are recovering from thumb and calf injuries, respectively. For Pakistan, their all-rounder Shadab Khan, who suffered from concussion while fielding against South Africa, if declared fit, may play against New Zealand. Also, right arm pacer Hasan Ali, who missed the previous two matches due to illness is likely to be available for the New Zealand game.
Playing conditions
M.Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru will host the encounter between New Zealand and Pakistan. The venue will host its third match of this tournament. The teams batting first and second have won one game each. Given the smaller ground dimensions, expect tons of runs to be scored by both teams.
Weather
The weather is expected to be cloudy. It could rain in the afternoon. The maximum temperature attained during the day will be 28 degrees Celsius. There will be 78% cloud cover, 68% chance of rain, and 27% chance of thunderstorms. The wind will blow from the east.
Players to watch out for
Rachin Ravindra: This top-order batter of New Zealand has been in sublime form scoring 415 runs in seven matches at an average of 70 and strike rate of 106. He has also picked three wickets with his left arm spin.
Mitchell Santner: With 14 wickets in seven matches, this left arm spinner has been bowling well in the middle overs for the Kiwis.
Mohammad Rizwan: Pakistan’s wicket-keeper-batter has been the most impressive with the bat for his team with 359 runs in seven matches at an average of 72 and strike rate of 99.
Shaheen Afridi: The 23-year-old left-arm speedster of Pakistan is the most successful bowler for his team with 16 wickets in seven matches. He is an excellent new ball bowler and equally effective in the end overs.
Milestones alert
Tom Latham needs 52 runs to complete 4000 ODI runs
Jimmy Neesham needs 5 runs to complete 1500 ODI runs
Lockie Ferguson needs 3 wickets to complete 100 ODI wickets
Hasan Ali needs 1 wicket to complete 100 ODI wickets
Trent Boult needs 1 wicket to complete 50 wickets in World Cups
Match details
Date: November 4, 2023
Time: 10:30 AM IST
Venue: M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru
Live streaming: Star Sports, Hotstar
All the statistics are sourced from ESPN Cricinfo