NZ v Pak 2nd T20I Preview: Hosts look to bounce back from a rare defeat

New Zealand has been playing some top class cricket recently and the series win over Sri Lanka confirmed their superiority in all facets of the game. The arrival of Pakistan though has brought a stiffer challenge. This was evident from the result of the first T20I that went the visitors’ way. While the Kiwis will look to bounce back from the defeat, the Asian giants will be hoping to seal the series in Hamilton.

New Zealand:

The home side was largely untested against Sri Lanka, particularly their middle order which hardly faced a challenging situation. Against Pakistan, it turned out to be a completely different ball game altogether. That middle order then turned up rusty on Friday as Corey Anderson, Grant Elliott, Mitchell Santner and Luke Ronchi all fell for single figures, within 18 runs of each other.

New Zealand were without their best bowler Tim Southee and the most experienced batsman, Ross Taylor for that first game, however, and Taylor’s likely return will bolster that middle order. The openers will be eager regain their form as well. Kane Williamson was made to seem human in that first match, having dropped a catch, run his partner out, and made a slow start to his own innings. Mistakes from him have been rare hence he will look to lead from the front and make a telling contribution.

In two Eden Park T20Is, Colin Munro has struck 106 from 41 deliveries, sealing one game and keeping his team alive in the other. His clean striking has almost filled the firepower void left by Brendon McCullum’s absence. He will be looking to continue his brilliant form and seal a berth in New Zealand’s World T20 squad.

Pakistan:

It is the variety, quality and experience in Pakistan’s attack that appears the greatest threat to New Zealand in this series. In Wahab Riaz, Umar Gul and Mohammad Amir, the visitors have three quality seamers, each presenting a different challenge. Imad Wasim has bowled tight left-arm spin since his arrival in international cricket last year while Shahid Afridi’s leg-spin continues to make an impact. The visitors also have Shoaib Malik’s part-time off-breaks which are highly reliable. Pakistan is likely to field an unchanged lineup from the previous match.

Cracking cameos from the middle order, bowling match-winning spells and occasionally engaging teammates in animated on-field discussions, Afridi is still the star player in this Pakistan team. He hit a rapid 23, took two wickets and claimed three catches on Friday. Seddon Park is not quite as small as the ground in Auckland, but its dimensions will still suit his big hitting. For a man determined to leave international cricket on a high after the WorldT20, the talismanic cricket is making all the right moves.

Form guide: (last five matches, most recent first)

New Zealand: LWWWL

Pakistan: WLLLW

New Zealand (probable): 1 Kane Williamson (capt.), 2 Martin Guptill, 3 Colin Munro 4 Corey Anderson, 5 Ross Taylor, 6 Grant Elliott, 7 Luke Ronchi (wk), 8 Todd Astle, 9 Adam Milne, 10 Matt Henry, 11 Trent Boult.

Pakistan (probable): 1 Mohammad Hafeez, 2 Ahmed Shehzad, 3 Sohaib Maqsood, 4 Shoaib Malik, 5 Umar Akmal, 6 Shahid Afridi (capt), 7 Imad Wasim, 8 Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), 9 Wahab Riaz, 10 Umar Gul, 11 Mohammad Amir.

Stats:

1. New Zealand won the only other T20 these teams have played in Hamilton, in 2010.

2. Kane Williamson has led New Zealand in 10 T20s, with his team having won exactly half.