Pakistan take the field against New Zealand as they start their T20 World Cup Super Eight campaign against New Zealand at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo today.
The squads have not been announced yet but Babar Azam and pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi may well take a back seat against the BlackCaps, with the less experienced yet promising Khawaja Nafay and Salman Mirza expected to be entrusted with middle-order batting and new-ball bowling duties, respectively.
On the eve of today’s fixture, Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson said the Green Shirts would continue to back their spin-heavy strategy, at least in Colombo, even if that meant fielding a side packed with all-rounders.
For New Zealand, the Super Eight stage will test their adaptability, with the side having played all their group matches in India.
Pace, bounce and spin in Colombo are likely to differ markedly from conditions in Chennai and Ahmedabad, but batter Mark Chapman said the players were well aware of the variations in pitches.
Pakistan have played all four of their matches in Sri Lanka and possess a potent spin attack.
Chapman was confident New Zealand could cope with Pakistan’s spinners, including the unorthodox Usman Tariq, who pauses in his delivery stride and employs deceptive variations, including side-arm releases.
