Former World Cup cricket champions Pakistan will start their World Cup mission against Netherlands at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Friday. The men in green are the clear favorites in this encounter. Babar Azam’s team is much stronger than the Dutch both on paper and on the field.
The 1992 World Cup winners are back on Indian soil after seven years, and they will have victory in mind. The Netherlands, on the contrary, has a team that may not have high expectations, but they can surprise any side on their day. Pakistan will be hoping to field a strong lineup as they face the Dutch. Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan will be their batting pillars, while Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf will spearhead their pace attack. They may include two spinners, Shadab Khan and Mohammad Nawaz, in the team.
Babar Azam wants to score big in their opening encounter, and it is possible because their top-order batters manage huge runs for the team. However, Pakistan is not taking the Dutch lightly. Anything can happen in a limited over encounter.
The bowling side is also strong for Pakistan. Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Usama Mir are the main bowlers to destroy the Dutch batting line.
The Netherlands, on the other hand, is currently the 14th-ranked team in ODIs. However, they outplayed teams like the West Indies and Zimbabwe World Cup qualifiers to grab a berth in the ICC World Cup 2023.
The Dutch have a tough challenge against Pakistan. In six ODI games against Pakistan in the past, the Netherlands has never managed to outplay Pakistan. They also faced Pakistan in two T20I games but lost both of them.
Dutch wicketkeeper and captain Scott Edwards hopes his team will fight to the last delivery. He is well aware of Pakistan’s strength and experience in the tournament.
The Netherlands top-order batters, Colin Ackermann, Bas De Leede, and Max O'Dowd, are the team's dependable batsmen. If they make a big score, the team can hope to win the game.
This will be the seventh ODI match between the two teams. Before this game, the Dutch lost all the games. The Dutch will now wish to create history by winning over Pakistan. However, that is easier said than done.
