Pakistan are the last side I would've wanted NZ to be playing in tomorrow's knockout scenario, I joked to a friend, because they've been crap in the last two games and are therefore highly likely to swing to the other extreme. Sound reasoning, no?
If you agree with the cliche that the teams which start tournaments slowly are often the most dangerous, you'll probably single Pakistan out as the team to watch from now on. As a kiwi fan I'm certainly not hoping for an upswing in Pakistani fortunes in tomorrow's game, and I'm pretty confident of NZ's chances on their own merits, but it wouldn't surprise anyone if Pakistan suddenly took the tournament by storm starting tomorrow.
On the other hand, there's the old chestnut about peaking too early. South Africa put on an all-round performance against NZ yesterday which contained most of the trademarks of a good South African win - solid batting and big hitting, great fielding, and ruthless efficiency. Hasn't this been the prelude to many a classic south African choke?
Then again, cliches are meant to be broken. On with Group E.
Top Cricket From The Second Tier
13 years ago
2 comments:
Leaving the ICC knockout semifinal in 2000 have NZ ever beaten Pakistan in major icc tournaments? I can't remember.
Taylor and McCcullum have flopped and that hasn't helped NZ.
NZ have a mixed record against Pakistan in big tournaments. They did beat them in last years' Champions Trophy semifinal, and in a group game in 2006. But they were also snuffed out by Umar Gul's reverse swing in the T20 super 8's game last year.
Yup, the form of Taylor and McCullum has been a major disappointment, let's see if they're capab le of turning things around.
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