Last Update on: November 9th, 2023 at 01:39 pm
Irfan Pathan has predicted New Zealand to qualify for the semi-finals of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 if rain doesn’t play spoilsport in their match against Sri Lanka. New Zealand is going to face Sri Lanka at Bengaluru, the same ground where they lost to Pakistan after rain affected the match and DLS favored Pakistan as they were above the par score after 21 overs. The Kiwis tasted defeat even after crossing the 400-run mark.
During a discussion on Star Sports, Pathan was asked to pick the favorites for Thursday’s game between New Zealand and Sri Lanka, to which he responded, “New Zealand has a higher percentage chance of winning, it is more than 50%. The only problem is the rain. Rain has helped Pakistan earlier. We will have to see if the Bangalore rain helps them again.”
However, the former India all-rounder expects Kane Williamson and the Kiwis to overcome these hurdles and reach the semi-finals like the last two times. He elaborated, “I feel the toss will also be extremely important for New Zealand because chasing is always better on this pitch. There are a lot of factors. However, I will still say that despite all the difficulties, New Zealand will be the fourth team.”
New Zealand Has A Better NRR Than Pakistan And Afghanistan
New Zealand has a net run rate of +0.398 in comparison to Pakistan’s and Afghanistan’s net run rates of +0.036 and -0.338 respectively. A win for New Zealand against the 1996 World Cup champions will make it virtually impossible for the other two contenders to replace them for a semi-final ticket.
Irfan Pathan was further questioned about the sort of Sri Lankan team he expects to see against a feisty New Zealand, to which he replied, “I am seeing Angelo Mathews’ Sri Lanka. They are looking a little pumped up. A little sourness is being seen in them. I saw the press conference as well. We saw the Angelo Mathews incident as well. When he took Shakib Al Hasan’s wicket with the ball, it was evident that the incident had hurt him.”
While reiterating that the Kiwis have the edge, Irfan Pathan concluded by warning them about not taking Sri Lanka lightly. The former all-rounder said, “Sri Lanka will definitely want to leave an impact before leaving. However, I will still say that New Zealand are ahead but they cannot take Sri Lanka that lightly.”
While New Zealand wants a win to confirm their spot in the semi-finals, Sri Lanka needs a win to qualify for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Somehow, one of the two teams would have their dreams shattered in the match. New Zealand would like to continue their reign of qualifying for the semi-finals for the fifth successive time in ODI World Cups.
