Nov 3 at Abu Dhabi
Match starts at 15.00 local time (11.00 GMT)
The teams meet for the tifrst time since the Semi finals of CT which NZ won.
Will Pakistan extract revenge or will NZ triumph?
Squads:
Pakistan squad Younis Khan, Abdul Razzaq, Iftikhar Anjum, Imran Farhat, Kamran Akmal†, Khalid Latif, Mohammad Aamer, Mohammad Yousuf, Naved-ul-Hasan, Saeed Ajmal, Salman Butt, Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Malik, Umar Akmal, Umar Gul, Wahab Riaz
New Zealand squad DL Vettori, SE Bond, NT Broom, IG Butler, JEC Franklin, MJ Guptill, BB McCullum†, NL McCullum, KD Mills, JDP Oram, AJ Redmond, TG Southee, SB Styris, LRPL Taylor, BJ Watling
from Cricinfo:
**Form Guide (most recent last)
**
Pakistan WWWLL
New Zealand - LWWWL
Watch Out For
Now that Younis Khan has got what he has wanted, it might not be a bad time for him to pick up some ODI form. This year has been a poor one for him: in 16 ODIs he has 398 runs at less than 25, with only two fifties.
Similarly, this might be a fine time from Brendon McCullum to fire with the bat as well. Expectations have been unnaturally high since that scarcely believable IPL hundred, but an average of 26 from 21 ODIs this year, with just two fifties, is disappointing at many levels. A move down the order may be the tonic.
Team News
Pakistan will have one, possibly both, different openers from those who played in the Champions Trophy, with Salman Butt and Imran Farhat the likely beneficiaries. The only other question mark is likely to be over Naved-ul-Hasan and whether Abdul Razzaq should replace him.
Pakistan (probable): 1 Salman Butt, 2 Kamran Akmal (wk), 3 Younis Khan (capt), 4 Mohammad Yousuf, 5 Shoaib Malik, 6 Umar Akmal, 7 Shahid Afridi, 8 Naved-ul-Hasan/Abdul Razzaq, 9 Umar Gul, 10 Mohammad Aamer, 11 Saeed Ajmal
New Zealand are injury-ravaged as they were during the Champions Trophy, missing key personnel in Daryl Tuffey, Jesse Ryder and Grant Elliott. Scott Styris is back, as is Jacob Oram and with Kyle Mills suffering an injury, the young, impressive Tim Southee is definitely in contention for a starting place.
New Zealand (probable): 1 Aaron Redmond, 2 Brendon McCullum (wk), 3 Martin Guptill, 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Scott Styris, 6 Neil Broom, 7 Daniel Vettori (capt), 8 Jacob Oram, 9 Nathan McCullum, 10 Shane Bond, 11 Tim Southee
Pitch and Conditions
Surfaces at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium have not always been reminiscent of the run-leakers of the 80s and 90s Middle East cricket. Generally they are low and sluggish and batsmen find it difficult to get away, often making for low-scoring, tense encounters. It will not be a surprise if conditions are much different this time round. Pakistan’s stronger spin attack and knowledge of the surfaces and conditions should give them a slight advantage.
Stats and trivia
- Umar Gul has taken 21 wickets in 10 ODIs in the UAE (excluding matches at the old Sharjah ground)
- Pakistan have played 11 ODIs at the Sheikh Zayed stadium in Abu Dhabi since its inauguration in April 2006. That is more ODIs at the venue than any home venue, including their two main ones in Lahore and Karachi in the same time
- New Zealand haven’t played in the Middle East since April 2002 and their record in the region is poor: eight wins in 29 games.
Go Pak Go. :jhanda:
I can watch the 1st innings then I gotta go to work. Damnit.
