T20 World Cup 2021: Pakistan win toss, opt to bowl against New Zealand

New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson said that after Lockie Ferguson was ruled out of the tournament due to a calf tear, Adam Milne will join the squad.

Pakistan's Mohammad Hafeez celebrates the dismissal of New Zealand's Jimmy Neesham during a T20 World Cup match in Sharjah. (Photo| PTI)

SHARJAH: Pakistan captain Babar Azam won the toss and sent New Zealand into bat in the Twenty20 World Cup Super 12 match in Sharjah on Tuesday. Pakistan, champions in 2009, kept the same team that beat arch-rivals India by 10 wickets in Dubai on Sunday.

New Zealand, playing their first game in the tournament, were jolted by a calf injury to spearhead Lockie Ferguson minutes before the match. Ferguson is ruled out of the World Cup and his replacement Adam Milne can only be selected once approval is granted by the International Cricket Council technical committee.

The Teams:

Pakistan: Babar Azam (capt.), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Asif Ali, Shadab Khan, Imad Wasim, Hasan Ali, Haris Rauf, Shaheen Shah Afridi.

New Zealand: Kane Williamson (capt.), Martin Guptill, Devon Conway, Glenn Phillips, Tim Seifert (wk), Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Ish Sodhi.