Pakistan-Team. (Photo Source: Twitter)
A wobbly Pakistan side takes on buoyant Netherlands in the second game of the ODI World Cup 2023 on Friday, October 6, at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.
For the Netherlands, making it to the marquee event is a remarkable feat as they were not one of the favourites in the World Cup Qualifiers, which was played earlier this year in Zimbabwe. However, they earned their spot with some incredible wins, including a Super Over triumph against the West Indies. Scott Edwards and Co. eventually lost to Sri Lanka in the finals of the tournament but they had already done enough to punch their tickets to the showpiece event in India.
The team from Europe has a good mix of youth and experience in their squad. The opening combination of Vikramjit Singh and Max O’Dowd have played together for quite some time and have a great understanding of each other’s strengths and weaknesses. The 20-year-old Vikramjit was the highest run-getter for the Dutch side in the Qualifiers, with 326 runs from eight matches at 40.75. Skipper Edwards also had a fantastic tournament, scoring 314 runs in eight games at an average of 62.80 and a strike rate of 112.14.
All-rounders Bas de Leede and Logan van Beek were phenomenal at various stages of the tournament and they will lend balance to the team. The Netherlands struggled against quality spin bowling from the likes of Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana. They will have to address that issue as they will come up against a lot of quality spinners during the 10-team event. However, against Pakistan, they will have to be aware of the pace duo of Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf. In the warm-up game against Australia, Mitchell Starc took a hat-trick against Netherlands as the Dutch batters looked all at sea against the left-arm seamer’s pace and swing.
Pakistan have had a topsy-turvy run of form of late. They whitewashed Afghanistan in a three-match ODI series in Sri Lanka but were taken to the limit in the second game. The Asia Cup 2023 followed and Babar Azam’s men flattered to deceive. They finished last on the points table in the Super Four stage. In the couple of warm-up games against New Zealand and Australia, preceding the ODI World Cup, Pakistan ended up on the losing side.
Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan have been among the runs, while Iftikhar Ahmed has also chipped in. However, the likes of Imam-ul-Haq and Fakhar Zaman will have to come good if the ‘Men in Green’ are to have a deep run in the tournament. Meanwhile, the pacers will be key for Pakistan. Having lost Naseem Shah due to injury, the onus will be on Shaheen and Haris to give the Asian giants the all-important breakthroughs.
Shadab Khan’s form will be a cause for concern for Pakistan as he has not managed to bowl tight lines and erred on lengths in recent times. However, Mohammad Nawaz has shown some good form heading into the tournament and that should hold the former champions in good stead.
PAK vs NED Pitch and Conditions
The pitch at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium has traditionally been good for batting. In the two warm-up games at the venue, scores in excess of 300 were registered in all four innings. Winning the toss and batting first could be a good option but a score below 350 could be chaseable. Pakistan played both their warm-up games at this venue and will have a better idea of the conditions than their opponents.
PAK vs NED, Probable Playing XIs for ODI World Cup 2023, Match 1st
Pakistan
Babar Azam will most likely stick to his experienced players in the first game. This means that the likes of Mohammad Wasim Jr, Usama Mir, Abdullah Shafique, and Salman Ali Agha could be the ones to miss out.
Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam (C), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf
Netherlands
The Dutch side will rely on the players who did well in the qualifiers and brought them to this stage. However, the experienced spin-bowling all-rounder Roelof van der Merwe has returned to the setup and he should get a game.
Max O’Dowd, Vikramjit Singh, Wesley Barresi, Bas de Leede, Teja Nidamanuru, Scott Edwards (C & wk), Shariz Ahmad, Logan van Beek, Roelof van der Merwe, Aryan Dutt, Paul van Meekeren
PAK vs NED Head-to-Head in ODIs
Matches Played
6
Pakistan Won
6
Netherlands Won
0
First Played
26-Mar-96
Last Played
21-Aug-22
PAK vs NED Broadcast Details:
Date
Friday, October 6
Timing
02:00 PM IST
Live Streaming
Disney+ Hotstar app and website
Live Broadcast
Star Sports Network
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