Since their first match loss against India in the World Cup, Pakistan’s cricket ecosystem has been crying wolf. About the form of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, about Shaheen Afridi’s fitness, about Babar Azam’s captaincy, about this and that.
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Indian Express argues for Mohammad Haris to open, Babar Azam to bat at No 3 and and Mohammad Nzwaz to start the proceedings for Pakistan with the ball for their semi-final match against New Zealand in Adelaide.
Team 🇵🇰 arrives in Sydney ✅🛬#WeHaveWeWill | #T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/LjIu1Hy1Mv
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) November 7, 2022
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Mohammad Haris to open
Mohammad Haris, the blazing strokeplayer responsible for his Pakistan’s World T20 turnaround. He has travelled to Australia as a reserve.
It’s this fearlessness that has catalysed Pakistan’s turnaround in the T20 World Cup. His 11-ball 28 against South Africa and 18-ball 31 versus Bangladesh have been the sort of momentum-fuelling knocks that Pakistan had been frantically searching for.
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.@shani_official leads the conversation with @iShaheenAfridi and @iamharis63 after 🇵🇰 booked a semi-final berth 🎙️#WeHaveWeWill | #T20WorldCup | #PAKvBAN pic.twitter.com/s3uHUdghgA
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) November 6, 2022
Suddenly, from being a reserve player, Haris has become an indispensable batsman for his team. So much so that many pundits want him to open the innings. “We need firepower at the top with batters who are showing clear intent like Haris,” Shahid Afridi tweeted. Waqar Younis is convinced that nobody in the Pakistan team understands T20 cricket as much as Haris does. With Babar Azam and Mohammad Azam struggling at the top Pakistan might play a punt by sending Haris to make the most of the powerplay.
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Babar Azam to bat at No 3
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Pakistan team mentor Matthew Hayden has backed his under-fire skipper Babar Azam to produce “something special” in the knockout stages of the T20 World Cup. The fourth-highest run-scorer in T20Is since the last World Cup, Babar has failed to fire in the ongoing showpiece, with a 33-ball 25 against Bangladesh being his best in the last five matches.
🗣️ Skipper @babarazam258 speaks to his team after Pakistan qualify for the #T20WorldCup semifinals 🔊#WeHaveWeWill pic.twitter.com/CkmpJCj6o3
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) November 6, 2022
With pressure mounting on him, we might see Babar playing at 3 to strengthen the middle order. Babar has managed only 39 runs in five innings and is due for a big one in the tournament. His scores prior to the start of the tournament, however, includes an unbeaten 79 against the very attack he takes on in the semifinal in New Zealand’s conditions. His form at the World Cup is likely nothing more than a blip, and a match-winning innings in his side’s most important games of the year should be on its way.
Nawaz to bowl in powerplays
Finn Allen and Devon Conway tormented the Australian bowling attack in their first match. Allen particularly was very aggressive against the speedster. But in other matches duo looked vulnerable against the spin and Pakistan might gamble with Nawaz’s left-arm spin in the powerplay to get the Kiwi openers cheaply.
Predicted XIs
It is highly unlikely that there will be any changes in the playing XIs from both sides.
Pakistan XI: Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Haris, Babar Azam, Shan Masood, Iftikar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Shaheen Shah Afridi
New Zealand XI: Finn Allen, Devon Conway, Kane Williamson, Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, Lockie Ferguson, Trent Boult
