All eyes in Pakistan will be on the England vs New Zealand Super 8 Group 2 match in Colombo on Friday. Pakistan clearly know that if New Zealand win, their semi-final hopes will be over even before they play Sri Lanka on Saturday. Even a washout would benefit New Zealand, as one point would be enough for them to join England in the last four.
Rain has already disrupted a few matches in Sri Lanka during this T20 World Cup, but weather forecasts suggest Colombo is likely to stay clear on Friday. That will come as some relief for Pakistan fans, who will be hoping for a full game.
Colombo Weather
New Zealand will also move into the semi-finals if the match in Colombo is washed out, but that looks highly unlikely. The forecast for Friday shows only a 3% chance of rain in the city, and the probability drops to 0% around the scheduled 7 PM start time.
Clear skies are expected throughout the England vs New Zealand clash, with temperatures hovering between 27 and 28 degrees Celsius. It is set to be a hot and humid evening in Colombo. While such conditions can sometimes bring dew into play later in the night, it hasn’t had a major impact in matches held in Sri Lanka so far during the tournament.
At present, England sit at the top of the group with four points from two matches and have already qualified for the semi-finals. New Zealand are second with three points and a strong net run rate of +3.050 after their big 61-run win over Sri Lanka. Pakistan have just one point and a negative net run rate of -0.461, while Sri Lanka is out of contention.
T20 World Cup Super 8 Group 2 points table stands:
1. England – 4 points, 2 matches, NRR +1.491
2. New Zealand – 3 points, 2 matches, NRR +3.050
3. Pakistan – 1 point, 2 matches, NRR -0.461
4. Sri Lanka – 0 points, 2 matches, NRR -2.800
For New Zealand, the equation is simple — avoid a heavy defeat, and they should go through. Pakistan’s task is much tougher. They need New Zealand to lose badly and then beat Sri Lanka by a big margin to improve their own net run rate. New Zealand also look comfortable against spin-heavy attacks. Players like Mitchell Santner, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips and Cole McConchie could be key on a slower Colombo pitch.
