PAK vs NZ Super 8, T20 World Cup 2026: The Salman Ali Agha-led Pakistan cricket team is all set to kick off their Super 8 campaign in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026 with a match against New Zealand on Saturday, 21st February, at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
There will be immense pressure on the Pakistani side as they have a few question marks to sort out. Pakistan needs to make some brave calls by removing underperformers from the playing XI to dominate the opposition teams in the remaining T20 World Cup 2026. All eyes will be on Babar Azam and his form.
Pakistan to Stick With The Same Opening Pair
Pakistan may stick with their current opening combination – Saim Ayub and Sahibzada Farhan – as both players have fired consistently with the bat and have kept the scorecard ticking for Pakistan.
Salman Ali Agha (c) has tried to play more aggressively in recent matches. He had a good series against Australia, but in this T20 World Cup, he has struggled, scoring 12, 14, and 38 so far.
Pakistan To Drop Babar Azam For PAK vs NZ, Super 8 Clash?
Well, the R Premadasa Stadium’s surface could suit Babar Azam’s style. Babar is someone who prefers to keep the ball along the ground and build his innings, which might be key in these conditions.
However, Babar Azam has been struggling to score runs in the ongoing World Cup 2026. He has managed to score just 66 runs in 4 matches and has been criticised for his strike rate of 115.78. Despite his disappointing run in the ongoing tournament, Babar is likely to bat at number 4. But if he doesn’t deliver in this all-important Super 8 match, the he team management could look at Fakhar Zaman, who has been waiting for his chance.
The Spin Advantage For Pakistan:
Pitches are expected to slow down and become tougher for batters. That could work in Pakistan’s favour, thanks to their strong spin options. In Colombo, bowlers like Usman Tariq, Abrar Ahmed, Saim Ayub, Mohammad Nawaz and Shadab Khan could have a big role to play.
Nawaz is closing in on two milestones, just three wickets away from 100 T20I wickets with 97 to his name, and two sixes short of 50 in T20Is.
Meanwhile, there is a discussion around whether to bring back Shaheen Afridi. He was left out against Namibia after struggling on slow pitches and conceding over 11 runs per over without taking wickets.
On the other hand, Usman Tariq is being viewed as a possible trump card for Pakistan.
Pakistan’s Predicted Playing 11 vs New Zealand
Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Khawaja Nafay, Shadab Khan, Babar Azam, Usman Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Salman Mirza, Usman Tariq
