***Official*** Second Semi-Final: New Zealand vs. Pakistan

[Naumaan]

Pakistan XI should be something like this, i'm assuming that the pitch is going to be a Bouncy & with grass on it & there'll be moisture in it........

1. IMRAN NAZIR
2. KAMRAN AKMAL
3. YOUNIS KHAN
4. SHOAIB MALIK
5. MUHAMMAD YOUSAF
6. UMER AKMAL
7. RANA NAVEED
8. UMER GUL
9. MUHAMMAD AMIR
10. MUHAMMAD ASIF
11. SHAHID AFRIDI/ SAEED AJMAL
only 1 spinner 'll be enough here
but both are equal in abilities for me, Saeed Ajmal being a better bowler & Afridi has batting & fielding abilities
so i'm picking AFRIDI, & it'll mean we'll bat till number 8
on a pitch which has bounce & swing & seam movement in it, 4 pacers 'll be enough, cuz no team 'll be able to play more than 40 overs
but it's up to Younis Khan to make a decision

[Zinzan]

Pakistan to beat NZ reasonably comfortably IMO. NZ have too many players below International standard hiding in the final XI now they've had all the injuries.

As I said in the other thread, if NZ had this side, I'd give them a real chance against Pakistan

McCullum
Ryder
Guptill
Taylor
Styris
Oram/Elliott
Franklin
Vettori
Mills
Tuffey
Bond

[Athlai]

Still have 8 of those players? Wouldn't say Butler is the worst either.

[Zinzan]

Pakistan XI should be something like this, i'm assuming that the pitch is going to be a Bouncy & with grass on it & there'll be moisture in it........

1. IMRAN NAZIR
2. KAMRAN AKMAL
3. YOUNIS KHAN
4. SHOAIB MALIK
5. MUHAMMAD YOUSAF
6. UMER AKMAL
7. RANA NAVEED
8. UMER GUL
9. MUHAMMAD AMIR
10. MUHAMMAD ASIF
11. SHAHID AFRIDI/ SAEED AJMAL
only 1 spinner 'll be enough here
but both are equal in abilities for me, Saeed Ajmal being a better bowler & Afridi has batting & fielding abilities
so i'm picking AFRIDI, & it'll mean we'll bat till number 8
on a pitch which has bounce & swing & seam movement in it, 4 pacers 'll be enough, cuz no team 'll be able to play more than 40 overs
but it's up to Younis Khan to make a decision

Must say, am really looking forward to watching this young lad Amir bowl, was disappointed he wasn't playing against Oz last night. Do you know if that was due to injury or was he just rested?

[Zinzan]

Still have 8 of those players? Wouldn't say Butler is the worst either.

Lol, you're making me repeat myself .....there's a clear difference between a NZ top XI & a top 8 plus 3 of the leftovers, especially in NZ's case when we don't have the depth of some other teams.

[Athlai]

Lol, you're making me repeat myself .....there's a clear difference between a NZ top XI & a top 8 plus 3 of the leftovers, especially in NZ's case when we don't have the depth of some other teams.

Yeah but 8 of XI plus a decent ODI replacement in Butler means we only have 2 real hangers on, Broom (and probably Redmond). And considering how long Pakistan's tail is this may not be a major issue.

[Xuhaib]

Must say, am really looking forward to watching this young lad Amir bowl, was disappointed he wasn't playing against Oz last night. Do you know if that was due to injury or was he just rested?

rested so they could try Asif.

[James]

I take it you guys haven't read this thread re where Scott Styris is right now?

2009 Hong Kong Sixes

[Howsie]

From what others were saying the fact that it's the off-season but Redmond was playing cricket in Australia (preparing for 2020 Champion Tournament thing) had something to do with it. Whereas Styris may not have been playing much at all.

In that case it does make some sort of sense, particularly when he was meant to fly in and then immediately play against England. Though there must have been other guys considered for that spot too.

Redmond never really impressed me in his test outings and I don't understand the 'bring back Redmond' sentiment that seems to be around at the moment, which is based on a) slogging a few runs against some minnow at the 2020 world cup and b) Scoring 60 something and then giving away his wicket to an outrageous shot in his final test against Australia in Adelaide. Seems like limited over batting might be more of his thing than tests, but then there's that pesky fact that his List A average for Otago is low (while he's done well in domestic T20s, there's no denying that).

Willing to give him a go and see if he does well - really not sure who I would have chosen instead.

Because he's just that good

[pup11]

Haven't been following New Zealand cricket too closely, but if Scott Styris isn't injured, then why on earth is he not in the CT squad, New Zealand clearly need someone in the middle order capable of holding the innings together, and clearly it won't have hurt to have someone like Styris in there.

[Sanz]

With all due respect to NZ team but Pakistan have owned them way too much and I do not see the trend changing this time around. NZ batting looks really weak and I do not know how they will handle the Pakistani attack of Aamer, Asif, Gul, Afridi, Ajmal and Naved. This attack looks ridiculously strong.

[Faisal1985]

Pakistan has NZ's number just as Aus has Pak's. But for some reasion I have a feeling NZ might pull it off. Pak's batting could very well collapse like a house of cards on this pitch.

Pak XI should be...

Kamran Akmal
Shoaib Malik
Younis Khan
Mohammad Yousuf
Shahid Afridi
Umar Akmal
Rana Naved
Saaed Ajmal
Mohammad Aamer
Mohammad Asif
Umar Gul

Could possibly drop a bowler for another batsmen but I don't think an Imran Nazir would do them any good in any case.

That is certainly a good side considering that the pitch we get to bowl on is actually bowler friendly...i am not sure which pitch they will be playing on.....

If its a bowling pitch i think Asif must play.

[brackenNY]

No way Pakistan should experiment with the side for a crucial tie, I think its very important they play Asif at the Wanderers, so I would rather drop Gul and play Asif ahead of him, Gul has hardly looked a patch of himself in this tournament, and Asif is more likely to perform at the Wanderers.

Also given the fact that Wanderers pitch has proved to be bowler friendly, it would make sense to have an extra batsman, so Misbah should be there in the middle order as well.

I had Asif in my line up.

Dropping Gul for Misbah is not a bad idea, though.

Hasn't performed at all this tournament.

[Naumaan]

Must say, am really looking forward to watching this young lad Amir bowl, was disappointed he wasn't playing against Oz last night. Do you know if that was due to injury or was he just rested?

Just rested

[Naumaan]

if pitch has bounce & seam movement, then Xl i mentioned will be a good one i think
by the way in these conditions it's going to be a 50-50 to both teams