T20 World Cup, NZ vs Namibia: Preview, stats, and more
New Zealand will be keen to get closer towards booking their berth in the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 semis when they face Namibia in a crucial Super 12 match on Friday. The match is set to be held in Sharjah. After losing against Pakistan, the Kiwis tasted success with wins over India and Scotland. Here we present the match preview.
Key details about the match
The Sharjah wicket has been on the slower side throughout. Spinners will play a crucial role and pacers would hope to bowl tight and slower. The match will start at 3:30 PM IST. One can watch the match live on the Star Sports Network and stream the same on Hotstar app (paid subscription).
New Zealand go into the match as favorites
The Kiwis earned two massive wins against India and Scotland respectively to gain momentum. The Kane Williamson-led side has the attributes to stand tall and show their dominance against a spirited Namibia outfit. NZ have a solid batting unit and one can back them to produce something substantial. A bit of work is needed with the ball though. A collective approach can help.
Namibia will need to show character
In the previous match against Pakistan, the Namibia bowlers were hammered by Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan respectively. The bowling unit needs to step up this time around and be precise. The Namibia batters have got starts but will have to convert them into something more substantial. Namibia will be expected to show character and make things difficult.
A look at the top performers
Ish Sodhi (79 wickets) can get to the mark of 80 and become just the ninth bowler to achieve the feat. Martin Guptill, who scored immensely against Scotland, got past 3,000-plus runs and can be brutal upfront. Merwe Erasmus is the top scorer for Namibia with 658 runs. Meanwhile, Jan Frylinck has claimed 43 T20I scalps.
A look at the probable XI of both teams
New Zealand probable XI: Martin Guptill, Daryl Mitchell, Kane Williamson (c), Devon Conway (wk), Glenn Phillips, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Adam Milne, Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, Trent Boult Namibia probable XI: Stephan Baard, Michael van Lingen, Craig Williams, Gerhard Erasmus (c), Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, Zane Green (w), David Wiese, JJ Smit, Jan Frylinck, Ruben Trumpelmann, Ben Shikongo
