New Zealand
Pakistan
The ICC ODI World Cup warm-up fixtures will kick-start on Friday and one of the matches will be between New Zealand and Pakistan in Hyderabad. Both teams are evenly matched and the fixture is expected to be a thrilling match.
New Zealand will be in the spotlight during the tournament as they always come across as a serious contender for the World Cup trophy. Ish Sodhi and Rachin Ravindran are expected to play a crucial role in the team. The top bookmakers in India have healthy WC odds with them.
After a decade, the Pakistan cricket team will be coming to India for the ODI World Cup. They are currently at their best shape and skipper Babar Azam will be expected to perform at his best. They are currently in their best shape with Shaheen Afridi picking up wickets with his swing in every fixture.
Shaheen Afridi has performed consistently in recent times in the ODI format. In the last 5 ODIs, Shaheen has picked up 6 wickets.
The betting tip is...
Shaheen Afridi to pick 2.5+ wickets
58 %
42 %
New ZealandPakistanAfter a 2-month absence from international cricket, skipper Kane Williamson will be making a comeback to the team and it will be a major boost for the rest of the players. He is important for the Kiwi squad because of his leadership and batting talent. He will be expected to open the match with Will Young and Devon Conway.
Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, and Tom Latham will be responsible for the middle order. Lockie Ferguson will be the leading man in the pace attack with Kyle Jamieson and Trent Boult. Ish Sodhi and Rachin Ravindran will be making an impact with their spin variations.
Tim Southee’s injury has come out as a major blow for the team and he won’t be part of the warm-up fixture.
Predicted Lineup: Kane Williamson (c), Trent Boult, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Will Young.
After a major debacle at the Aisa Cup, Pakistan will be looking forward to a positive start in the ODI World Cup. Babar Azam will be the leading man and will be at the top order with Fakhar Zaman and Imam-ul-Haq.
Mohammad Rizwan and Ifthikar Ahmed will be responsible for scoring runs in the middle order. Shaheen Afridi will be leading the pace attack with Haris Rauf and Hasan Ali. Hasan Ali is making his comeback to the ODI format after a year. Shadab Khan will be the primary spin bowler for the team.
It is unfortunate news that Naseem Shah won’t be part of the ODI World Cup because of his injury.
Predicted Lineup: Babar Azam (c), Shadab Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Rizwan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Wasim
Both teams will be eying for a win to gain momentum for the rest of the tournament. However, New Zealand’s middle order has shown inconsistency in recent times, and at the same time, Pakistan has a well-balanced squad with a good depth in their batting unit.
Shaheen Afridi can be a game-changer with the ball in Indian pitches. We predict a win for Pakistan on Friday with the left-arm pacer being a key figure in this match.
