match_preview_t20

According to Castrol Index, New Zealand batsmen may be susceptible to spin attack as 38% of their batsmen have lost their wickets to spinners. Spinners have also been successful in tying them down. Pakistan must look to exploit this weakness when they face the Kiwis today.

Faced against spinners, aggressive New Zealand batsmen like Brendon McCullum, Scott Styris and Martin Guptill have been forced play more sedately. Boundaries have been curtailed to 10% when the spinners are up against them.  In view of this, Pakistan will do best to deploy spinners to check the Kiwis’ Batting Momentum (BM) of 206.

For the Kiwis, leading wicket taker Ian Butler will shoulder bowling responsibility against a strong batting line-up of Pakistan in Younis Khan, Shoaib Malik and Misbah-ul-Haq, who have scored 55% of the team’s total runs. Induction of Abdul Razzaq into the squad may provide Pakistan an additional bowling option, if he is selected in the playing XI. Good bowling spells by Umar Gul and Sohail Tanvir can restrict the onslaught from McCullum and Aaron Redmond in periods of QuickStart Batting.

Pakistan however is lagging far behind in the fielding department. New Zealand’s strength lies in their fielding performance that resulted in 7 run outs for oppositions. Can Pakistan improve its lackadaisical fielding performance that has resulted in 4 dropped catches and a negative fielding point (-101)?