Pakistan vs New Zealand, 19th Match, ICC T20 World Cup: Fantasy Preview

And just like that, Pakistan have released the monkey off the back. Not only have they beaten India for the first time in a World Cup encounter, after having been at the receiving end of many thrashing for close to 30 years now, but they have also done so in some style, by winning the contest without losing a single wicket. The duo of Babar Azam and Mohammed Rizwan showcased their prowess at the biggest stage, leaving nothing to chance. They gear up to take on New Zealand in their second league encounter, which has all ingredients to be a contest worth its weight in gold. 

Head to Head

Overall - 24 Wins | Pakistan - 14 Wins | New Zealand - 10 Wins

Last Five Matches | Pakistan - 3 Wins | New Zealand - 2 Wins

Ground Details and Team Combination

Scoring runs in Sharjah was a very difficult proposition in the recently-concluded Indian Premier League. Even though historically Sharjah’s first innings scores are 153, with an average first innings winning total being 169, the average first innings score has dropped to 132 in the last 26 matches. However, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka were involved in a run-fest a day ago at the particular venue, thus the nature of the pitch is slightly confusing at the moment. However, one can really target the total score being in the same ballpark as that of the average total, hence, should form their side accordingly. 

Knowing the impact spinners had at the venue, which was one of the significant reasons for Kolkata Knight Riders entering the final despite a terrible first half, it is advisable to gather more spinners in the squad. Someone like Ish Sodhi might be very impactful on such venues. 

Suggested Team

While you could go for the above team, you also have the option of choosing your own team from Cricket.com’s Fantasy Research Centre. You can use this tool to build your team with the help of algorithms. Based on your preferences, the platform will guide you to create the ideal fantasy XI.

Captain

Mohammed Rizwan is in the form of his life and nothing can depict it better than the fact that no batter, be it, full members or associates, has scored more runs in a single year than Rizwan’s 831 runs this year. Against India, he showed that facet of his batting and you know he will be the ideal fit to be the captain of your Fantasy side.

Our Criclytics Player Projections predict Rizwan to score 30-44 runs

X-Factors

Lockie Ferguson’s raw pace was utilized well by Kolkata Knight Riders in the recently-concluded IPL and especially in the Dubai leg. In 13 IPL matches since IPL 2020, Ferguson has picked 19 wickets at 19.6. He will have a big role to play for New Zealand and can fetch us some really good points.

Our Criclytics Player Projections predict Ferguson to pick 0-1 wickets

After making his T20I debut in November 2020, Conway has already taken a huge stride on the international stage, most notably scoring 99 not out off just 59 balls against Australia last February. While an average of 59.13 is staggering over a period of 14 matches, he strikes them at 151.1 that makes him an irresistible proposition. You can’t look beyond him while forming your Fantasy XI.

Our Criclytics Player Projections predict Conway to score 19-29 runs

Match-ups:

The contest between Martin Guptill and Shadab Khan will be interesting if Babar Azam decides to use his spinner upfront. The Kiwi opener has only scored 15 runs off the 18 balls he faced and was dismissed 3 times in the process. 

You can check out many interesting match-ups by using this Criclytics tool