πICC T20I Men's WC 2024: Match 14: NZ vs AFG, at Providence on 8/6/24 at 5:00 AM ISTπ
[Tag and Logo Credit to Wildestdreams]
NZ face tough test against Afghanistan in spin-friendly Guyana. The battle for supremacy in Group C of the T20 World Cup heats up
Thirteen matches into the World Cup, New Zealand's campaign is just about to begin. While the Black Caps have waited to get going in Guyana, at least five teams have completed two group games, some sides have been surprised by the varied challenges posed by the conditions, the ICC has publicly acknowledged pitch concerns in New York and the USA have downed Pakistan. The challenge for Kane Williamson and Co. is that they will have to hit the ground running against an opponent that warmed-up to the tournament with a dominant, run-rate boosting win at this very venue.
Afghanistan might already be one of the popular choices for cricket fans' 'second-favourite' team given how improbable their journey has been in getting as far as they have as a cricketing force. They enhanced that reputation with a stunning show in the ODI World Cup in India six months ago. Now in the abridged T20 format, one their players go around the world playing and even headlining, they will like nothing more than to rubber-stamp this rise by progressing past the group stage.
Which is what lends this match, and Group C by extension, a tasty narrative. In a group with three clear contenders fighting for two Super 8 spots, and where two of those sides are facing each other at the start, there is not much room for error or bad luck. A win over New Zealand, one of those few big teams that Afghanistan didn't dent in October-November last year, could put them in pole position for qualification and leave the Black Caps scrambling and even hoping for other teams to help them out.
But what separates New Zealand from most other participating countries in this competition is adaptability. They've been semifinalists or runners-up in each of the last six white-ball World Cups in conditions as varied as India, UAE, England and Australia. They have variety in skills and the tactical nous to make little adjustments on the go. It is what Afghanistan will have to match and counter.
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