SYDNEY: The first semifinal of the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 between Pakistan and New Zealand will be played today at at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG). In the super 12 round, Pakistan finished second in Group 2 while New Zealand were the Group 1 toppers.
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Pakistan, who seemed an unlikely candidate to enter the semis after their defeat to India and Zimbabwe, finished in the second spot in the Group 2 points table with six points – thanks to Netherlands. Pakistan won three and lost two of its five games, and was able to outperform Bangladesh, the Netherlands and South Africa.
On the other side, New Zealand played a total of five matches in the Super 12 round. They defeated Australia, Ireland and Sri Lanka in three games. New Zealand dropped one game to England while the rain forced the cancellation of their encounter with Afghanistan. New Zealand had the highest net run rate in the points table, finishing first with seven points.
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However, it is pertinent to mention here that the Black Caps have reached at least the semi-finals of every World Cup since 2015 and have been losing finalists in 2019 (50 overs) and 2021 (20 overs).
Pakistan hold the edge over New Zealand in their T20 head-to-head record, having won 17 of the 28 matches.
