Pakistan are all set to host New Zealand for the second T20 International games of the five match series tonight at Rawalpindi’s Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. The match will commence at 7:30pm IST.
Both the sides will begin their preparations for the 2024 T20 World from the second T20i onwards as the first game was called – off after just two deliveries due to constant rainfall.
The players from both the teams didn’t get a chance to play properly in the first T20i and both teams are anticipated to stick with the same playing 11 which took the field on 18th April on a wet night in Rawalpindi.
The visitors have gone with a second string squad which consists of dynamic Youngsters against Pakistan as the senior players of the Black Caps are busy with IPL 2024. The Pakistan series presents a really good opportunity for these young players to perform well and possibly seal their spot in the Black Caps squad for the 2024 T20 World Cup. In the absence of Kane Williamson, Michael Bracewell is handling the leadership duties.
The Black Caps preparations for the Pakistan series were hampered by the ankle injury of seamer Adam Milne and a back injury to opener Finn Allen. The absence of Finn Allen came as a huge loss to the visitors as he completely single handedly thrashed the entire Pakistan bowling unit in their previous series.
Adamn Milne was expected to lead the Kiwi bowling unit in the absence of the main players and him getting ruled out due to an injury made matters worse for the visitors. But, despite facing these difficulties, the 2021 T20 World Cup runners up remain confidential to play good Cricket against the Shaheens and secure the series with the help of the dynamic youngsters.
Talking about the playing 11 of the visitors, wicketkeeper Tim Seifert is anticipated to open the innings alongside Tim Robinson. Robinson didn’t have a memorable T20i debut against the Shaheens as Shaheen Shah Afridi cleaned him up with a ripper on the second delivery of the match for a duck. In the second game though, the 21 year old would be looking to play some dynamic Cricket and punish the Pakistan bowling unit.
Seifert on the other hand is known to play big shots at will and once he gets settled on the crease properly, he ends up destroying the opposition bowling unit with his big shots and the Pakistan bowlers need to watch out for him.
With the presence of Jimmy Neesham, Dean Foxcroft, Mark Chapman and Michael Bracewell in the middle order, the Black Caps possess the necessary firepower to counter the bowling unit of Pakistan and chase down huge totals confidently. Neesham will also be providing the extra bowling depth with his medium pace bowling and Bracewell will be handling the spin bowling duties with Ish Sodhi.
Ben Sears and Jacob Duffy will be in charge of the pace bowling unit and they would be looking to trouble the Pakistani batters with their line and lengths and raw pace.
In the bowling department, New Zealand relies on the spin wizardry of Ish Sodhi, complemented by the pace duo of Jacob Duffy and Ben Sears. Ben sears possesses raw pace along with the ability to extract swing from the surface and he can be a wicket taking option for the Kiwis against the Shaheens.
Duffy on the other hand, has been performing consistently well in Domestic Cricket and he had a memorable T20i debut in 2020 against Pakistan as he ran through the top order and ended up finishing with figures of 4-33. The 29 year old would be looking to replicate that performance against the Men in Green and he will be looking to form a lethal partnership with Ben Sears.
New Zealand’s likely playing 11 against Pakistan for the second T20I:
Tim Robinson, Tim Seifert (WK), Mark Chapman, Jimmy Neesham, Dean Foxcroft, Michael Bracewell (Captain), Ish Sodhi, Josh Clarkson, Ben Sears, Jacob Duffy and Ben Lister.
CHECK: Pakistan strongest playing 11 against New Zealand in 2nd T20I