New Zealand will face Pakistan in their Super Eight opener at the R. Premadasa Stadium on Saturday. Before the match, New Zealand batsman Mark Chapman said Pakistan’s strong spin attack, especially Usman Tariq, will be a huge challenge.
Tariq, 27, has been impressive in the tournament so far. He took eight wickets with an economy rate of 5.83 and an average rate of 8.38. He also took four wickets in the group stage match against Namibia.
Speaking at a press conference in Colombo on the eve of the match, Chapman said, “I mean, obviously Usman Tariq has a very unique movement in the way he stops the ball at the crease, so I mean, that’s something to take into account. Pakistan have a lot of really good spinners in the team, so each of them poses a threat in their own right,” according to the ICC.
Chapman said New Zealand was familiar with Pakistan as the two teams had played against each other several times in recent years. He believes the Kiwis know what to expect and are focused on sticking to their game plan.
“Pakistan is probably one of the teams we’ve played against the most frequently over the last couple of years. So, we know exactly what they’re going to bring to the table. So for us, it’s just about making sure we’re really clear on the way we want to play as a team,” the New Zealand batsman said.
He also provided the latest news about the team. Captain Mitchell Santner, who missed the last match due to illness, is likely to return and looks to be in good shape.
However, fast bowler Lockie Ferguson has returned to New Zealand for the birth of his first child. Chapman said it was unclear whether Ferguson would play in the game.
The 31-year-old batsman said: “Santner looks fresh, so I think he is very excited to be back on the park. Barring a last-minute illness, I think he will be there. Obviously, Rocky (Ferguson) has left us. I think he is on his way back at the moment. So we will see how he comes back from the plane. I can’t confirm or say if he will be in No. 11. I’m not too sure to be honest.”
New Zealand will play all their Super Eight matches at the same stadium in Colombo. Chapman said this helps because the team often has to travel and adapt to different venues. Playing at one venue gives them a better idea of what to expect each game.
“One of the challenges when you play in these tournaments is just jumping from one venue to another and adapting. Having played all three games here, we’re learning each game as we go. For us, it’s really good to be in the same place, same venue, similar pitch and adjust. Tomorrow is our first game here so we have to adapt anyway. But we’ll think about that later and get a better idea of the conditions. So, yeah, certainly that’s something we’re not complaining about,” Chapman said.
Talking about his role in the team and how he can solve Sri Lanka’s spin problems, Chapman said: “I think especially given the slower nature of the pitch and the slightly bigger boundaries, you have to change your game plan. I think for me personally, batting in the middle, I would probably be in a better position. “In the power play, or in very few overs, I think especially against spin players, there might be more options to look at, whether you use sweep shots more or reverse shot sweeps, whereas I think in India, it’s less spin and you can aim for straight boundaries more.”
“Every batsman has his own approach, but I guess for myself it’s looking at different areas to hit the ball. Obviously, there are big pockets here as well, so it’s not all sixes on this pitch. A lot of twos, a lot of fours, running hard between the wickets is also really important, especially if the score isn’t very high,” he said.
Pakistan and New Zealand both qualified for the Super Eights by winning three of their four group matches.
