New Zealand are set to clash against the eliminated Sri Lankan side in their last World Cup 2023 group-stage match on Thursday, November 9. Despite losing their last four consecutive games, the Kiwis remain in the hunt for the semifinal qualification and captain Kane Williamson is counting on his pace attack to deliver two points against Sri Lanka at Bengaluru's M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
New Zealand compete with Pakistan and Afghanistan for the remaining fourth spot in the knockouts. All three teams are tied with eight points but the Blackcaps are ahead in the points table with comparatively impressive net run rate. A win against Sri Lanka will definitely guide them to the semifinal but their form and recent losses put a lot of pressure ahead of the big game.
Talking in the pre-match press conference, captain Kane Williamson hinted at the potential return of in-form pacer Lockie Ferguson. Ferguson has taken eight wickets in five innings in the ongoing tournament and maintains the best bowling average for his team. He missed the team's latest game against Pakistan due to an Achilles injury but is tipped to feature in the must-win game on Thursday.
"He (Lockie Ferguson) balances out our attack nicely and made some really valuable contributions in the tournament and brings a bit of experience as well," Williamson said on Wednesday. "So, naturally comes in and bowls with that high pace and it complements our new ball bowlers. So, we'll have to have a look at the surface and decide on our balance."
Ferguson is expected to join senior pacers Trent Boult and Tim Southee and fans can also expect a World Cup debut for Kyle Jamieson. The latter recently joined the team as a replacement for injured speedster Matt Henry and can replace spinner Ish Sodhi against Sri Lanka.
New Zealand World Cup Squad: Kane Williamson (c), Devon Conway, Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (vc & wk), Glenn Phillips (wk), Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, James Neesham, Trent Boult, Kyle Jamieson, Ish Sodhi, Mark Chapman (wk), Lockie Ferguson
