Background on the teams
Pakistan has been playing some of the best T20 cricket in recent years and is the clear favorite to win this match. They have a strong batting line-up, with several very experienced players, including captain Sarfraz Ahmed and batsman Umar Akmal. However, their bowling has been criticized for being too reliant on spinners Shadab Khan and Yasir Shah who both rely on turning pitches to get them out of trouble. Their pace bowlers Mohammad Amir and Wahab Riaz have also not been as effective as they once were.
New Zealand will be looking to exploit this weakness, using their superior fast bowling line-up that includes the likes of Tim Southee and Trent Boult.
Recent form
New Zealand won their first match against Australia by a big margin of 49 runs. The Black Caps have been in form since the start of this tournament and their recent performances have been outstanding, especially their group-stage matches against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Their unbeaten record makes them one of the favorites to win this trophy. It would be a major surprise if they failed to make it to the final.
Pakistan has already defeated England and India in this tournament, making them an exciting prospect. There’s no doubt that they’re a tough team and as such, any cricket betting tips for this match will be fascinating to see unfold. Pakistan had an easier route than New Zealand in the group stage, which could work either for or against them come Monday night’s game.
Key players
Pakistan is led by Sarfraz Ahmed, who has been an all-around star for the team in recent months. His bowling has taken a back seat to his batting in recent years, but he’s still more than capable of taking wickets when needed. He also is one of the best fielders in the game, and his athleticism and agility make him a threat on both sides of the ball. Sarfraz has had a great year with bat and ball so far, scoring three centuries and taking 34 wickets at an average of 12.04 runs per wicket while going at 5.77 runs per over with the ball. Mohammad Hafeez remains Pakistan’s most prolific batsman, having scored two hundred this year while averaging 39.37 from six matches. Babar Azam averages 43 from 10 matches and has the highest T20I score (163*) for Pakistan. Imad Wasim’s 31 wickets are the third most for Pakistan this year, though he only averages 18.06 with the ball.
Weather conditions
Pakistan and New Zealand will be playing in what is the most important match of their lives. Both teams have a lot at stake here. Whoever wins, will go to the final on Friday and if it’s Pakistan, they will get to play in front of home fans for the first time in a world cup semifinal. Cricket betting tips are available for those who want to put some money down on this game.
The weather is supposed to be cloudy with temperatures around 28 degrees Celsius or 82 Fahrenheit with a light breeze blowing from the east-northeast at 8 km/h or 4 mph. There is a low chance of rain during this match as well as any rain during the days leading up to it.
Pitch conditions
Pakistan and New Zealand have made it to the finals of the T20 World Cup. There is a lot on the line in this match.
Pakistan is currently ranked number one in the world, while New Zealand is ranked number two.
New Zealand has beaten Pakistan four times in five matches they played against each other, which means they’re feeling confident going into this game.
This match could also be seen as revenge for a loss that happened last year when Pakistan was defeated by New Zealand in the final of the ICC Champions Trophy tournament at The Oval ground of London.
The winner will be crowned as champion of T20 cricket and will go on to play for $4 million prize money.
Predicted lineups
Pakistan is strong in batting but weaker in bowling. Likewise, they are not that good at fielding either. However, they have a very formidable pace attack which can make things difficult for any team. Their lineup could be something like this: Sharjeel Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Hafeez (c), Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik and Umar Akmal. All these players bat top order except Umar Akmal who bats in the lower-middle order. Asad Shafiq and Imad Wasim are their two all-rounders who can come in from the middle order to stabilize the innings if needed.
TV and live streaming details
The T20 world cup is in its semi-final stage and now we have the most eagerly awaited match between Pakistan and New Zealand. It will be an interesting contest as both teams are evenly matched with their strengths and weaknesses on display. The teams have played each other many times in the recent past, so they should know what to expect from each other.
Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat first, which is usually a good decision for them. Their batting lineup is quite strong with Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Haris Sohail and Shoaib Malik all looking very dangerous. However, their bowling is suspect at best as Mohammad Amir has been out injured for a long time.
Match prediction
Pakistan has a strong batting lineup with Babar Azam and Imam-ul-Haq, as well as veteran Shoaib Malik. Shadab Khan is the spearhead of their bowling attack but Mohammad Nawaz will be key to restricting the batsmen.
New Zealand can match Pakistan’s pace attack but they lack in spinners, with Mitchell Santner out with injury. The batting lineup though is excellent with Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor, Colin Munro and Martin Guptill all capable of big scores. Henry Nicholls has also been hitting his straps recently and could trouble Pakistan’s attack.
However, it was left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner who picked up five wickets on Friday against Bangladesh which made the difference for New Zealand. He may not have much support from either Mitchell McClenaghan or Nathan McCullum but he could prove vital once again.
Pakistan by contrast doesn’t have a good spinner at all so this could be an advantage for New Zealand if there are any early rain interruptions or if Shadab Khan fails to fire too often on dry pitches.
