Comment

Pakistan and New Zealand evenly matched

Elmo RODRIGOPULLE

The ICC Champions Trophy second semi-final between Pakistan and New Zealand at the Wanderers Stadium in Jhonnesburg will be a contest between two evenly balanced teams today.

In the circumstances,the team doing the simple things right in this style of the game should, unless the unforseen happens enter the final to be played at the Supersport in Centurion on Monday.

For a start the side winning the toss will think long and hard before opting to have first go. That is because the uncertain nature of the wicket.

The England- New Zealand game played on one of these wickets was not fit for cricket. It was a tricky wicket with the ball coming at varying heights and at times creeping and crawling and England who batted first were on wicket that could have caused serious injury to their batsmen.

The two skippers, Younus Khan of Pakistan and Daniel Vettori of New Zealand will be hoping for a wicket that is good for cricket when they walk to the centre for the toss. If the wicket turns out into being like the one that was prepared for the England- New Zealand game, then the confrontation as contest would be over.

Good wickets are required for good and interesting cricket to be played. Spectators flock to watch this style of game yearning for entertainment. But when the teams produce sub standard cricket because of the uncertain nature of the wicket, the spectators go back cursing the curators, forgetting that it is not only the curators to blame, but also the hosts and the ICC who conduct these tournaments.

With little to choose between the two teams, the side bowling wicket to wicket, taking the half chances, cutting the twos into ones and doing the other simple things right should be smiling at the end of the game.

Pakistan who won the Twenty20 Trophy in England will be determined to beat the Kiwis and have a fling in the final and add to the trophies already won. Though they lost to the Aussies in an earlier game,it would not be a worry to them.

This game is a make or break game for the two teams Pakistan and New Zealand.

Pakistan will be hoping for big scores off the bats of openers Kamran Akmal and Imran Nazir. Both are attacking batsmen and Kyle Mills and Shane Bond will have a time trying to stall them from rattling up the runs or dismissing them. Younus Khan who bats one drop is sure to make it his business to play a long innings and add stability to the batting. What has been worrying the Pakistanis is the poor form of their dashing batsman Sahid Afridi. Afridi starts with a bang,but suddenly loses concentration and dollies a catch for no apparent reason. He should bat with responsibility in this crucial game.

Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Yousuf have been in the runs and it is hoped that they will continue the same form in this game too. Umar Akmal will also have to make runs. He is highly talented with strokes allround the wicket and if he settles should knock the Kiwi attack around and run up a quick score. Pakistan will be hoping that left arm tearaway fast man Mohammed Aamer will get them the early wickts when the Kiwis take strike. Spinners Saeed Ajmal and Sahid Afridi must also oblige in bowling. Ajmal’s doosra has been difficult to spot and many a batsman has fallen prey. Afridi has a well disguised googly and should be among the wickets.

Kiwis will look to two of their most aggressive batsmen Brendon McCallum and Martin Guptil to give them the ideal platform like they did against England. McCallum is a dangerous batsman who can take any attack apart.

In the absence of the dashing Jesse Ryder, Ross Taylor, Nel Broom, Grant Elliot and skipper Daniel Vettori must make it their business to make big runs. A big score from Taylor is long overdue.

Kyle Mills, Ian Butler and Shane Bond and Grant Elliot must give the Kiwis the early wickets for spinner Vettori to capitalise on and run through the Pakistani batting. Over then to the Wanderers and a wicket fit for cricket and an interesting and exciting semi-final encounter.