Share

Black Caps win toss, bat against Pakistan at Edgbaston

accreditation
Kane Williamson (AP)
Kane Williamson (AP)

Edgbaston - New Zealand captain Kane Williamson won the toss and chose to bat in their Cricket World Cup match against Pakistan at Edgbaston on Wednesday.

LIVE: New Zealand v Pakistan - CWC 2019

Overnight rain had left the outfield wet, which delayed the scheduled 11:30 (SA time) start by an hour, but the umpires decided the match would remain at 50 overs per side.

New Zealand, who are second on the 10-team table with 11 points, kept the same team for the fifth match in a row.

Pakistan, who are seventh in the table with five points, also kept faith with the team that beat South Africa at Lord's on Sunday.

If New Zealand win they will join title holders Australia in the semi-finals.

"The cloud is going to hang about a bit and it's cold. There might be a bit of swing but we'll have a bat," said Williamson.

"There was consideration to making some changes but we've kept it the same again. This is always a tough game. Pakistan are a very strong side but we are looking to build on our displays.

"Naturally the support that Pakistan have gives a great atmosphere, we are looking forward to it. Every game has similar feelings riding on it - we are looking to play the cricket we want."

Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed said he would also have chosen to bat first.

"Mohammad Amir is bowling very well. We put in a complete team performance last time but our catching is a concern. Pakistan can do anything, we go match by match."

Teams:

Pakistan

Sarfaraz Ahmed (captain), Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam, Haris Sohail, Mohammad Hafeez, Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Amir, Shaheen Shah Afridi 

New Zealand

Kane Williamson (captain), Martin Guptill, Colin Munro, Ross Taylor, Tom Latham, Trent Boult, James Neesham, Colin de Grandhomme, Mitchell Santner, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry 

Umpires: Paul Reiffel (AUS) and Bruce Oxenford (AUS) 

Match referee: Richie Richardson (WIS)

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()