Pakistan's Predicted XI vs New Zealand, Cricket World Cup 2023: Imam-ul-Haq To Remain On Bench?

Pakistan are in a do-or-die situation at the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 as they head into their match against New Zealand. The match will be played at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Saturday. Even by the standards of Pakistan's unpredictable nature, their topsy-turvy ride in the tournament has raised a lot of eyebrows. Despite having some of the best batters and bowlers at their disposal, the Men in Green have struggled to keep themselves as one of the favourites and are now facing an intricate situation.

Pakistan must win both their remaining matches - against New Zealand and England - to stand a chance of reaching the semi-finals. Currently, they have three wins in seven matches and are lurking at the halfway point of the table. If they are to surpass New Zealand or Australia in the points table, they also must register big wins in these matches.

In their previous match, Pakistan outclassed Bangladesh and won by seven wickets at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata. Bangladesh were bowled out for 204 runs courtesy of spectacular spells by Shaheen Afridi (3/22) and Mohammad Wasim Jr (3/31). Fakhar Zaman and Abdullah Shafique scored half-centuries in the run chase as Pakistan got to the target in 32.3 overs.

Their opponents, meanwhile, have one foot in the semi-final but are hanging by a thread after three consecutive defeats. New Zealand will still be in a position of advantage if they lose to Pakistan due to their superior net run rate, but they wouldn't want to risk it. With four wins in seven matches, the Kiwis are in the top four for now, but anything could happen as the tournament progresses.

Here's how Pakistan might line up for this clash:

Openers: Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman

Fakhar Zaman returned to