In today’s cricket environment, where strong opinions are often avoided, Herschelle Gibbs is known for his straightforward views. However, when commenting on the upcoming match between New Zealand and South Africa, after some consideration, he could only point out that it is extremely difficult to pick a favorite.
Gibbs hesitated to lean towards either team when asked about who might win the Champions Trophy semi-final between New Zealand and South Africa in Lahore. It was a casual remark made during his gym workout in Cape Town, not a formal analysis. However, even in similar informal settings, Gibbs usually doesn’t shy away from expressing strong, sometimes controversial, opinions.
If even a sharp cricket mind like Gibbs struggles to differentiate the teams, how are ordinary fans expected to make a prediction?
Interestingly, their recent travel schedules have been almost identical. New Zealand reached Lahore on Monday after a trip to Dubai to play India on Sunday – the only team in the tournament allowed to play outside Pakistan.
South Africa and Australia were also in Dubai. India’s victory meant South Africa would face New Zealand in the semi-final, and Australia would play on Tuesday in Dubai. After spending 18 hours in Dubai without playing or training, South Africa journeyed to Lahore on Monday.
It may seem like a long time since New Zealand and South Africa last played an ODI, but their last encounter was just 24 days prior to Wednesday’s match, at the same venue.
New Zealand won that Tri-Nations match by six wickets, but South Africa’s team for Wednesday will be significantly different. Only four players from that South Africa squad are in the current Champions Trophy team, while Kyle Jamieson is the only new addition to the New Zealand squad since their last match.
This difference in squad composition is a notable point. Another is South Africa’s recent form, with two wins after three previous ODI losses.
New Zealand’s loss to India was their first defeat in five matches. In the Champions Trophy, they have wins against Pakistan and Bangladesh.
However, similarities outweigh the differences. Both teams have achieved one score over 300 in the tournament, both in Karachi. They each have a batsman in the top 10 run-scorers, and New Zealand has three of the top 10 wicket-takers, while South Africa has two of the top economy rates.
Gibbs’s assessment was likely intuitive. Detailed statistics aren’t needed to see that these teams are very evenly matched.
Venue: Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
Match Expectation: Dry weather with a high of 23 degrees Celsius and a high scoring game expected.
Team News
New Zealand: Nathan Smith might be preferred over Kyle Jamieson due to his superior batting skills.
Probable XI: Will Young, Devon Conway, Kane Williamson, Rachin Ravindra, Tom Latham (wk), Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (capt), Nathan Smith, Matt Henry, Will O’Rourke
South Africa: Aiden Markram is fit to play.
Probable XI: Ryan Rickelton, Temba Bavuma (capt), Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram Heinrich Klaasen (wk), David Miller, Marco Jansen, Wiaan Mulder, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi
Did you know?
* South Africa is uniquely consistent in reaching the knockout stages of major ICC tournaments across all formats and age groups.
* New Zealand has a perfect knockout record against South Africa in men’s cricket World Cups.
* Both New Zealand and South Africa have won this tournament previously.
What they said:
‘Scheduling is challenging due to the packed international and franchise calendars alongside ICC events.’ – Mitchell Santner
‘Dubai trip allowed for rest and recreation, though logistically perhaps inefficient. We made the best of it and preparation isn’t affected.’ – Temba Bavuma
