NZ vs Afg match 16 of the ICC World Cup 2023 will be an interesting one looking at the results of the past few days. If one asked the same question last Saturday “ Can Afghanistan Pull Up Another Upset in the ICC World Cup 2023”, 90% would say “No Chance”. But the last few days have dramatically changed the angles of thinking about these less-profiled teams. On Sunday, Afghanistan stunned the defending champions England by 69 runs, and Yesterday, the Netherlands pulled up an unbelievable victory against South Africa.
Let’s dive a bit deep into it whether Afghanistan has the resources to register its second win of the World Cup against one of the favorites to claim the title. New Zealand is in supreme form right from the start of the tournament. And, Afghanistan has to punch above weight to beat New Zealand.
Afghanistan’s Spin Attack
The main weapon in Afghanistan’s armory is their Spin Bowling Attack. Afghanistan has three quality spinners all are different from each other. Mujeeb Ur Rehman, the powerplay specialist has different types of variety in his bowling. He is a wicket-taking option in the powerplay.
Rashid Khan is the leg spinner and the leader of the pack of Afghanistan’s spin bowling department. He can extract spin on any surface. He can be the main threat for New Zealand batters in this match if Afghanistan wants to fancy its chances against the Black Caps.
Muhammad Nabi is the off-breaker and the most experienced bowler who does not spin the ball much but he is too smart to handle. He seems less threatening compared to the other two bowlers but he knows his limitations and strengths. He can be a match-winner for his side.
Afg vs NZ Head-to-Head
Afghanistan has never beaten New Zealand in the World Cup history. They met two times with each other, in the 2015 and 2019 World Cup. Both times New Zealand beat Afghistan comprehensively. 2015 – New Zealand won by six wickets at Napier and in 2019 – New Zealand won by seven wickets at Taunton.
Favorable Conditions:
The most important thing for Afghanistan’s interest is that the pitch will favor them. Chennai is paradise for spinners and Afghanistan has one of the most deadly spin bowling attacks in the ICC World Cup 2023. But remember that New Zealand also has got quality spinners. In this World Cup, only one bowler has a fifer and that is Mitchell Snatern from New Zealand.
