Hamilton, Dec 19: New Zealand will be boosted by the return of skipper Kane Williamson and senior pacers, Tim Southee and Trent Boult, as they take on Pakistan in the second match of the T20I series at Seddon Park in Hamilton on Sunday.
A hard-fought win, a sensational debut, some stunning catches; the first T20I of the series was entertainment galore.
But there’s little to bask in glory as the second T20I arrives with several squad changes for the hosts. Notably, Williamson returns after his paternity leave and will skipper the hosts.
His return also poses a problem for the Kiwis who have had a settled top four right from the series against West Indies.
Who sits out for Williamson to play in his usual role? Martin Guptill, who has four single-digit scores in his last five outings in the format, will be under pressure to retain his spot.
With Glenn Phillips, Tim Seifert and Devon Conway making crucial knocks in the last few games, Guptill could make way for Williamson.
Blair Tickner and Mark Chapman, who were both in the XI for the first game, aren’t in the squad for the next couple of games.
Boult could take Tickner’s spot while Williamson could also come in for Chapman, with the others in the middle-order going down one position to slot the captain in at No 3.
Southee might also step in for one of the other pacers.
Pakistan, on the other hand, might also be looking to strengthen their top-order.
With no Babar Azam, they might opt to bring in the experience of Sarfaraz Ahmed and the all-round quality of Ifthikar Ahmed.
Two out of Abdullah Shafique, Haider Ali and Khushdil Shah could miss out as a result.
In the previous series between these sides in UAE, Pakistan made middling totals, but the bowlers did an exemplary job to help them sweep the series 3-0. UNI
