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Chance for Canada to shut the door on Pakistan’s stumbling World Cup campaign

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5 months ago

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Chance for Canada to shut the door on Pakistan’s stumbling World Cup campaign

Match details

Canada vs Pakistan
New York, 10.30am local

Big picture: Can the 2022 finalists stay alive?

The nature of the T20 World Cup 2024 scheduling means what cannot be forgotten must at least be shelved temporarily. Pakistan may have time to process their heartache after the defeat against India, which promises to leave scars well after this tournament has been consigned to a distant, unpleasant memory. However, they do not have that time right now. Less than 48 hours after a chase they mucked up, Babar Azam‘s side must pick themselves back up off the canvas, staggering, and try to stand up straight once more as Canada come calling.

Pakistan always knew they had these two games in three days, but halfway through the chase on Sunday, that looked like a blessing rather than a curse. A win against India would have allowed them to ride that tidal wave of momentum to undo the damage of the USA defeat in their opening game. Instead, Babar will lead a dispirited, crestfallen group into the game against Canada merely to ensure Pakistan stay alive for a few more days.

Canada, meanwhile, find themselves in the somewhat unusual position of looking down the table at their more fancied opponents. If not for an Aaron Jones blitz in the opening game of this tournament, Saad Bin Zafar‘s side would have been coming into this contest with two wins in two games. They then also showed impressive composure to shake off that bruising loss by bouncing back to outplay Ireland.

If in the first game, Canada showed they have the batters right down the order to put on huge scores, they demonstrated in the second the quality of the bowling line-up to squeeze Ireland effectively in defence of 137. Add to that a superb fielding performance, and this is a side that has shown it has both the hunger and the ability to trouble most in group A. And against a Pakistan line-up still licking their wounds, there may never be a better opportunity to send them back to the canvas one final time.

Form guide

Pakistan: LLLLW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Canada: WLLLL

In the spotlight: RizBar and Nicholas Kirton

How Babar and Mohammad Rizwan choose to approach the innings will be a point of interest. After criticism of their placid pacing in pursuit of a low score against India, expect both to try to come out all guns blazing against the Canadians, regardless of whether Pakistan bat first or second. That might mean the game gets one of those trademark RizBar partnerships where the strokeplay sizzles. At the same time, it gives Canada the chance to get an early wicket or two, and stick their teeth into a middle order that is low on confidence.

Canada will be thankful for 26-year-old Barbados-born Nicholas Kirton not being scooped up by West Indies, because at this tournament, he has shown the personality and quality to perform on the big stage. He came into the event with a 39-ball 52 in a warm-up game against Nepal, and has followed it up with 51 and 49 against USA and Ireland, which came off a combined 66 balls. The left-hander has an elegance and flair to his shotmaking, and the ability to use his wrists to open up as much of the ground as possible has made him difficult to bowl to. If, on a New York pitch no one seems quite sure of, Kirton can play another one of those innings, he will pose Pakistan problems.

Team news: Will Pakistan turn to Ayub?

There are no fresh injury concerns and limited ways Pakistan can rejig the current 15-man squad. Saim Ayub may have a shout of returning to the side, which leaves one of Usman Khan or Shadab vulnerable to the drop.

Pakistan (probable): 1 Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 2 Saim Ayub, 3 Babar Azam (capt), 4 Fakhar Zaman, 5 Shadab Khan/Usman Khan, 6 Iftikhar Ahmed, 7 Imad Wasim, 8 Shaheen Shah Afridi, 9 Naseem Shah, 10 Haris Rauf, 11 Mohammad Amir

Canada are likely to go in unchanged following their win over Ireland.

Canada (probable): 1 Aaron Johnson, 2 Navneet Dhaliwal, 3 Pargat Singh, 4 Dilpreet Bajwa, 5 Nicholas Kirton, 6 Shreyas Movva (wk), 7 Dilon Heyliger, 8 Saad Bin Zafar (capt), 9 Kaleem Sana, 10 Junaid Siddiqui, 11 Jeremy Gordon

Pitch and conditions: A fresh surface on the cards

Rain delayed the start of the India-Pakistan clash in New York, but no weather interruptions are expected on Tuesday. A fresh pitch is expected to be used for the Canada-Pakistan clash.

Stats and trivia: Pakistan need more from the batters

  • Babar’s dry run at T20 World Cups since the start of the 2022 edition continues. In that time he averages 20.11, with a strike rate of 97.31, having scored 181 runs in nine innings
  • The only time Pakistan lost their first two games at a T20 World Cup came in 2022. They have never lost their opening three games
  • Only three players have scored more runs than Kirton’s 100 at this T20 World Cup. Pakistan’s highest scorer is Babar, well behind with 57

Quotes

“There is no chance for us to get complacent. If anyone gets complacent after two losses, then whoever it is, does not deserve to be playing for the country. You can’t take any team lightly in T20 cricket. We have to be absolutely ready. The morale of the team is down, but this is the time we show our character. We go and play good cricket.”
Azhar Mahmood does not expect any of the Pakistan players to be complacent against Canada

“They [Pakistan] are very skilled players. Most of the guys have been going around the world playing league cricket, not only international cricket, so their skills are there. But if you are looking for an opportunity, you have to relish these moments. I believe that the fact that the wicket is playing some tricks, levels the playing field for us. We are looking to use that to our advantage.”
Aaron Johnson feels the New York pitch makes it a level playing field for Canada

Danyal Rasool is ESPNcricinfo’s Pakistan correspondent. @Danny61000

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