World Cup 2023, Match 35 | Pakistan Predicted XI vs New Zealand

image-loinsxohPakistan will face New Zealand in the 35th match of the World Cup 2023 (Source: AP Photos)

As we move to the business end of the 2023 World Cup, matches are getting intense with a lot of scenarios possible. New Zealand and Pakistan will square off against one another in the first match of a doubleheader Saturday in what could be a probable virtual knockout.  This anticipated match will take place on Saturday at 10:30 AM IST at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

Two weeks ago, New Zealand was one of the top two teams in the points standings. However, three consecutive losses have dropped them to fourth place, leaving them with qualification uncertainty. They were recently defeated by India, Australia, and South Africa. 

But the worst of all has been the increase in number of setbacks their players are getting.  Regular captain, Kane Williamson is still recovering while Matt Henry has been ruled out of the competition. Kyle Jamieson has landed in Bangalore and is set to replace him. Furthermore, Lockie Ferguson missed the last game due to an Achilles injury, Jimmy Neesham has a wrist injury but Mark Chapman is recovering quickly. 

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After four defeats, Pakistan claimed their third triumph of the World Cup against Bangladesh in the Eden Gardens. After winning the first two World Cup games, the men in Green suffered jolts in Ahmedabad as India steamrolled them. Following that, defeats were suffered in the hands of Afghanistan, Australia, and South Africa. 

In their most recent match against Bangladesh, they made three changes and found themselves on the correct track. Fakhar Zaman's runs off the bat contributed significantly to the victory. Pakistan will need to win every game from now on in order to increase their chances of qualifying.  So, let us glance through their predicted XI against New Zealand.


Openers: Fakhar Zaman and Abdullah Shafique

Pakistan should march on with the pair of Fakhar Zaman and Abdullah Shafique at the top of the order. The former replaced Imam-ul-Haq who lacked lustre. Zaman out up a show with the bat against Bangladesh with his 81 runs and was one of the match-defining knocks.

Shafique has been in good form with the bat and has galloped 332 runs from six matches. He scored a century against Sri Lanka that came in a winning cause and also followed it with three half-centuries later in the tournament.


Middle Order: Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan and Saud Shakeel

The Pakistan middle order consists of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, the heart of this batting department. The captain is one of their most elegant batters and scored fifties against India, South Africa and Afghanistan. He was going through a brief rough patch at the start of the tourney but found his form against the Men in Blue.

Rizwan and Saud Shakeel hold the fort especially when there's a collapse on the card. The former has been their best batter and piled up runs when needed. He notched up 359 runs from seven innings that includes three forty plus scores apart from the ton against Sri Lanka. At no. 5, Shakeel, has played some impactful knocks that avoided any unnecessary collapses for Pakistan.


All-rounders: Iftikhar Ahmed, Agha Salman, and Usama Mir

Iftikhar Ahmed is almost like the finisher of the Pakistan cricket team. He can assault the bowlers during the slog overs and is best suited for the third powerplay. Barring a century against Nepal in the first game of Asia Cup and a few mid thirties and forties, Iftikhar does not have impressive numbers under his belt. But his ability to whack the ball and bowl handy off-spin is beneficial to the team.

Agha Salman and Usama Mir were the latest additions to the Pakistan XI in place of Mohammad Nawaz and Shadab Khan respectively. Salman is a good lower middle order batter while Usama Mir has been more effective with the ball than Shadab in the tournament. Pakistan should not tinker their winning combination.


Bowlers: Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf and Mohammad Wasim Jr.

Shaheen Afridi has been in breathtaking form with the ball in hand. He has claimed 17 wickets from seven matches so far and is arriving with back-to-back three-fers under his name. His partner in crime, Haris Rauf was expensive at the start of the tourney but gradually improved. The speedster snapped two wickets in consecutive matches against South Africa and Bangladesh.

Mohammad Wasim Jr has complemented the two pacers very well. He has been scintillating in clearing the tail and has an affinity for the timbers.


Pakistan Predicted XI against New Zealand

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