ICC Mens T20 World Cup 2022: New Zealand vs Pakistan – 1st Semi-Final Preview and Updates

Cricket

The T20 World Cup 2022 has been incredible. Matches have been fiercely contested, there have been a number of upsets, and no one knew who would play in the semi-finals until the final group match. It is now time for the World Cup’s most important matches.

The first semi-final will feature New Zealand versus Pakistan. Their paths to this point may have been different, and luck may have played a larger role in one’s journey than in the other’s, but that doesn’t matter. Both New Zealand and Pakistan are two victories away from becoming World Champions.

New Zealand are the slight underdogs in this match, according to Cricbaba. Let’s take a closer look at both teams to see which one is more likely to win.

The 1st Semi-Final between New Zealand vs Pakistan will take place on November 9th, 2022 at Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney.

Match Details to Note

Match: New Zealand vs Pakistan, 1st Semi-Final, ICC Mens T20 World Cup 2022

Date: November 09, 2022 (Wednesday)

Time: 1:30 PM IST

Venue: Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney

New Zealand vs Pakistan

New Zealand (Match Odds – 1.80):

Preview:

New Zealand advanced to the semi-finals thanks to a resounding victory over Australia. Its match against England ended in a crushing defeat, and it did not let up against the other teams. We believe that if there was one team in the T20 World Cup that Pakistan would have preferred not to play in the semi-finals, it would have been Pakistan.

New Zealand and Pakistan played a tri-series (along with Bangladesh) just before the World Cup, which Pakistan won. In addition, the New Zealand batters will be wary of facing Pakistani spinners in Sydney.

We already know how New Zealand will approach this game. Finn Allen will play aggressively, Kane Williamson will try to bat through, and the remaining batters will look for favorable matchups. While Devon Conway and Glenn Phillips are in good form, the rest of the batting lineup is vulnerable.

The three big-hitting all-rounders in the lineup are Daryl Mitchell, Mitch Santner, and Jimmy Neesham, but they have not delivered. A couple of early wickets could leave New Zealand vulnerable.

New Zealand, like Pakistan, would like to maximize its bowling resources in order to break open this match. Trent Boult, Tim Southee, and Lockie Ferguson have been around for a long time and have done it before. Early on, three or four good overs could help New Zealand get ahead. The Black Caps must rely on this.

Full Squad:

Kane Williamson (c), Finn Allen, Trent Boult, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway (wk), Lockie Ferguson, Martin Guptill, Adam Milne, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee

Players to watch out for:

Glenn Phillips

The 25-year-old right-hander has been one of the competition’s most impressive batters. ‘During this T20 World Cup 2022, only one other player has scored a century.

Kane Williamson

Kane Williamson scored 61 runs off 35 balls against Ireland, his highest score of the tournament. The innings came on the heels of his run-a-ball 40 against England on November 1st.

Trent Boult

The 33-year-old has gone wicketless in his last two games, but he has a wealth of experience and performed admirably in his previous appearance at the SCG.

Possible Playing XI:

Finn Allen, Devon Conway (wk), Kane Williamson, Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, Lockie Ferguson, Trent Boult

Pakistan (Match Odds – 2.00):

Preview:

Pakistan’s bags were packed, tickets were purchased, and the tournament’s autopsy had begun. They are now in the semi-finals and have a great chance to win the T20 World Cup 2022! We believe Pakistan should be able to play with far more freedom than it has so far.

Mohammad Haris’ addition to the batting lineup has added another free-flowing batter who is ready to bat with intent. Mohammad Haris is a valuable counter to have with Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam struggling for runs at the top of the order.

Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, and Mohammad Nawaz have also performed admirably with the bat. In fact, Pakistan’s batting has been carried by the expected frail middle order throughout the tournament. We believe Pakistan’s batting resources are being utilized effectively, and the team may surprise New Zealand.

The Pakistani bowlers will provide the match-winning thrust. Shaheen Afridi took four wickets in the previous match, but we don’t believe he is at his best. Haris Rauf and Mohammad Wasim Jr. have been outstanding, while Naseem Shah and Mohammad Nawaz have also bowled well. Shadab Khan, the tournament’s best spinner thus far, has a significant role to play.

When facing Pakistan, there are no easy overs, and this could have a significant impact on the outcome.

Full Squad:

Babar Azam (c), Shadab Khan, Asif Ali, Haider Ali, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Shan Masood, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Haris

Players to watch out for:

Mohammad Rizwan

Despite a disappointing tournament by his own high standards, Rizwan has hit scores of 49 and 32 in his last three innings, indicating that a big score is not far away.

Shadab Khan

Shadab Khan, 24, is a spin bowling all-rounder who has taken 10 wickets in his last four games. In his last appearance at the SCG, he hit 52 and took 2-16 against South Africa.

Shaheen Shah Afridi

After missing time due to injury, the left-arm pace bowler returned figures of 3-14 in Sydney last week and 4-22 in Adelaide on Sunday.

Possible Playing XI:

Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Haris, Shan Masood, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Wasim, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Shaheen Shah Afridi

New Zealand vs Pakistan Top Team Batsmen

Our batting picks for New Zealand are Devon Conway, Glenn Phillips, and Kane Williamson. Conway hit 92 not out earlier in the tournament at the SCG, and with a T20I average of 50.71, it’s no surprise that he’s the betting favorite to top score for New Zealand. With 16 half-centuries in this format, Williamson is a big game player.

With the bat, we recommend Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam, and Shan Massod for Pakistan. Rizwan has the best odds with bookmakers, trailing only Suryakumar Yadav for T20I runs in 2022. Masood has the highest average of any Pakistani player in the competition, at 44.66.

New Zealand vs Pakistan Top Team Bowlers

We believe Trent Boult, Lockie Ferguson, and Tim Southee will carry the ball for New Zealand. Boult is the betting favorite to be New Zealand’s top wicket taker, with 23 wickets at an average of 14.47 in T20 World Cup matches. Ferguson enters this match having taken six wickets in his previous three matches.

Our bowling options for Pakistan are Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Shadab Khan. Afridi is back to his best, and bookmakers expect him to deliver in this crucial match. In his last game at the SCG, Khan defeated Temba Bavuma and Aiden Markram.

New Zealand vs Pakistan Head to Head

Pakistan has a strong track record in T20Is against New Zealand. They have a six-game lead, but they also defeated New Zealand in the 2021 T20 World Cup and three times during the tri-nation series last month in New Zealand.

New Zealand vs Pakistan Head to Head Stats in T20s

	Matches Played	NZ Won	PAK Won	Tie	NR
Overall	28	11	17	0	0
Last 5	5	1	4	0	0

New Zealand vs Pakistan Toss Prediction

So far, six T20 World Cup 2022 matches have been played at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Except for one, they have all been won by the team that batted first. We believe the captain who wins the coin toss would like to set a score for the opposing team to chase.

New Zealand vs Pakistan Pitch Report

On this pitch, hitting boundaries becomes more difficult as the ball softens, and we anticipate a par score of around 160 in this game. Pace and spin bowlers will receive assistance.

Cloudless skies prevailed in Sydney, with humidity rising to 60%+ in the second half of the game. The temperature is expected to stay in the high teens throughout the day.

New Zealand vs Pakistan Prediction

Both teams have won at least one game at the SCG in this tournament and will enter this game with confidence and fond memories of the venue. Pakistan’s bowlers are now delivering pace, aggression, and accuracy after a poor start to the competition, but their top order batters have struggled for consistency. In a battle of the batters, we expect New Zealand to win and are rooting for them to do so. Check out the odds at Cricbaba!

New Zealand is the favourite to beat Pakistan at the odds of 1.80.

New Zealand vs Pakistan Most Recommended Player for Bet:

Glenn Phillips hit 104 in New Zealand’s most recent match at the SCG and is currently averaging 48.75 in the tournament. As New Zealand’s leading run scorer against Pakistan, he is well worth backing.

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