New Zealand and South Africa face off in a crucial Champions Trophy semifinal, both teams seeking to overcome their history of falling short in major tournaments.
The second semifinal of the Champions Trophy will see Mitchell Santner-led New Zealand, who finished behind India in Group A, take on South Africa, who topped Group B ahead of Australia, at Lahore on Wednesday. Both teams have previously won the tournament once when it was known as the ICC Knockout Trophy - South Africa in 1998 and New Zealand in 2000.
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The teams appear evenly matched in most departments, though South Africa holds a slight edge in bowling variety. Both sides possess strong batting lineups and quality fielding units, but spinners could prove decisive in the contest.
While the Lahore pitches are slower, they haven't offered as much turn as Dubai's surfaces. The performance of both teams' spin bowlers could be crucial in determining the outcome.
New Zealand can draw confidence from their recent victory over South Africa in a tri-series at the same venue.
Tom Latham leads New Zealand's batting charts with 187 runs from three matches. Kane Williamson's return to form with 81 runs against India strengthens their batting lineup.
Matt Henry leads the tournament's bowling charts with eight wickets, supported by Will O'Rourke's six wickets. The Kiwis possess a strong spin attack featuring Mitchell Santner, Michael Bracewell, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, and Mark Chapman.
South Africa bring a formidable squad to the tournament too. Ryan Rickelton's century highlights their batting strength, supported by Temba Bavuma, Rassie van der Dussen, and Aiden Markram.
The Proteas' bowling attack includes Wiaan Mulder, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, and Tabraiz Shamsi.
Despite their impressive squad, South Africa's recent form raises concerns, having lost eight of their last 13 ODIs. Both teams aim to shed their underachiever status in ICC events, with New Zealand having finished runners-up twice in ODI World Cups (2015 and 2019) and once in T20 World Cup (2021).
Teams (from):
New Zealand: Mitchell Santner (c), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Will O'Rourke, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Nathan Smith, Kane Williamson, Will Young, Jacob Duffy.South Africa: Temba Bavuma (c), Tony de Zorzi, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs, Rassie van der Dussen, Corbin Bosch.
