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

Elliott had better be fit otherwise I can see Andy Moles putting the pads on here.

yea we need Elliott and Redmond has to play instead of Hopkins.

If this line-up doesnt play I seriously doubt our chances in this one:

McCullum
Guptill
Broom
Taylor
Elliott
Redmond
Franklin
Vettori
Mills
Butler
Bond

I assume Redmond would open if he played. Certainly in the top 3.

I think they will stick with Baz and Guppy opening. Also, I think Broom is better suited to building an innings from number 3. Redmond should bat 5 or 6 IMO

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.

^ good line up, but I think Younis should open and Malik should be at 3, he is better batsmen at 3 or 4

Don't like the fact that all the top 6 are right handers, but I guess there's nothing we can do about that.

New Zealand's batting could just as easily do the same. A couple of weak links in the top order (Redmond, Broom) who are yet to prove themselves and the rest can be fairly inconsistent too, though at least number 7-down look decent now that Franklin's there. Bowling is the strength for both sides so it may come down to whose batting collapses less :happy:.

Edit: Especially at Jo'burg if the pitch is anything like the last one.

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 don't understand why Redmond was called in...he is an opener, and we already have a good opening combination (even after Ryder's injury) with McCullum and Guptill. Styris was the obvious choice to replace Ryder. I'd have a ****load more confidence in Styris than Redmond.

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.

I am rooting for NZ but I am putting $10 at the TAB on Pakistan due to the injury to Ryder.

Would prefer Styris in the team over Redmond Broom and Elliott for that matter.

For us to win Bond has to bowl like a god and get a 5fer.

For us to win we need to score more runs than Pakistan.

Not necessarily. There's always a chance of Duckworth and Lewis having a role to play.

:blowup: