Following their batting struggles against India’s spin bowlers in the previous game, New Zealand’s captain, Mitchell Santner, acknowledged the challenges faced by his team. However, he expressed optimism about the upcoming semi-final clash against South Africa at the Gaddafi Stadium. Santner believes that the pitch conditions in Lahore will be more favorable for their batsmen and less conducive to spin bowling compared to the Dubai track.
The second semi-final of the 2025 Champions Trophy is highly anticipated, as both New Zealand and South Africa aim for their first-ever victory in a major ICC limited-overs tournament. South Africa enters the match with a strong record of two wins and one no-result, while New Zealand secured their semi-final spot as the runner-up in Group A, with impressive wins against Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Santner addressed the potential threat posed by South Africa’s quality spinners, Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi. He noted that South Africa possesses a well-rounded squad with strong seam bowling options, which are likely to be favored in Lahore’s conditions. While acknowledging the effectiveness of Maharaj and Shamsi, as well as Markram’s spin capabilities, Santner suggested that the pitch might not offer as much spin as in Dubai. He believes this could benefit the New Zealand batting lineup.
“I think that not much spin will be better for our batters,” Santner stated during the pre-match press conference.
New Zealand has consistently performed well in ICC tournaments over the past decade. Despite reaching the finals of the 2015 and 2019 ODI World Cups and the semi-finals of the 2023 edition, they are still seeking their first major ICC title. When questioned about overcoming this hurdle, Santner admitted it’s a significant challenge. He emphasized that reaching the semi-finals was the initial goal and that the team has prepared well and played good cricket. He recognized South Africa as a formidable opponent and acknowledged that the semi-final is a knockout game where the team that performs best on the day will emerge victorious. New Zealand hopes that team will be them.
“It’s just whoever can turn up on the day, and hopefully, that’s us tomorrow,” he concluded.
