LAHORE: After New Zealand’s pre-match press conference on Tuesday, the Gaddafi Stadium staff quickly got to work at changing the backdrop. Pakistan were holding a media briefing and having exited the Champions Trophy, this one couldn’t have the tournament branding. Pakistan had hoped to be here, in the semi-final of the first International Cricket Council tournament home soil in nearly three decades.

“Lahore is my hometown so obviously there is a lot of regret,” Pakistan’s newly-appointed Twenty20 vice-captain Salman Ali Agha would tell reporters. “We didn’t play good cricket but we have to look ahead, move on in life.”

After Wednesday’s semi-final, another team will be moving on. Pakistan, as tournament hosts, will also be moving on — with India having ensured the final will be held in Dubai after they beat Australia in the first semi-final on Tuesday.

The tournament’s parting memory in Pakistan will be the second semi-final between New Zealand and South Africa.

Both sides are former winners of the Champions Trophy in its past iterations. South Africa won in 1998 and New Zealand were victors in 2000 when the tournament was called the ICC Knockout Trophy.

White-ball title triumphs have eluded both sides since and although both teams have gone far in ICC tournaments, they’ve never been able to cross the finish line.

“Obviously the first goal was to make it to the semi-finals,” New Zealand skipper Mitchell Santner told reporters, with his side having been beaten finalists at the 2015 and 2019 ODI World Cups while also making it to the final four at the 2023 edition. “Tomorrow’s match is obviously a knockout and it’s all about whoever can turn up on the day. Hopefully that’s us tomorrow.”

South Africa lost in the semi-finals at the 2015 and 2023 World Cups. For them, the Champions Trophy is about making the final step and shedding the ‘chokers’ tag.

“We’ll approach it as we normally would,” South African captain Temba Bavuma told reporters when asked if there was added pressure. “We obviously want to play our best cricket tomorrow. We understand this year will obviously come with a set of challenges. We will have to play accordingly but I think we’ll consider this just another game, another game for us.”

South Africa go into the match having been unbeaten in their group, although with some fitness concerns over star batter Aiden Markram.

Bavuma said Markram was going to be assessed at their training session on Tuesday before a final call will be taken on his participation.

New Zealand beat South Africa at the same venue recently, during the tri-nation series that preceded the Champions Trophy. However, South Africa were missing most of their big-hitters.

“I think it [that match] gave us a look at the New Zealand team,” said Bavuma. “I think that team we played against, I don’t think it will be too far from that tomorrow. Obviously from our side it will be different players from that team. I guess there’s a difference there.”

Having lifted the tri-nations title, Santner’s men won their opening two matches of the Champions Trophy against Pakistan and Bangladesh before falling in their final group game to India on a spin track in Dubai. However, they’re now back to familiar pitches in Pakistan and Santner is satisfied with the squad at his disposal.

“I think, like our squad, they’ve got all aspects covered … Lahore will probably not be spinning as much as Dubai. We’ve seen how good Keshav Maharaj has been for a long time and [Tabriz] Shamsi’s there and also Markram can be tidy with the ball. So, I think they’re obviously pretty well balanced. I don’t think we’ll potentially get as much spin as there was in Dubai. So, I think that’s better for our batters if it doesn’t spin that much.

“We know South Africa are a great side. They’ve been playing well, as they always do in these tournaments. So yeah, we know it’s going to be a challenge come tomorrow, but I think what we’ve been doing has been good. We’ve been doing a lot of good stuff.”

South Africa, too, feel they’re doing well. And the mutual admiration between the two sides remains.

“I think New Zealand’s bowling as a whole is quite formidable,” noted Bavuma. “So I think as batters we know that we’re going to have to work hard. Tomorrow it’ll be up to whoever kind of shows up and executes best on the day.”

For over two decades, South Africa and New Zealand have been nearly men at ICC tournaments. On Wednesday, they have the chance to take a step towards much-awaited glory.

Published in Dawn, March 5th, 2025