Former Pakistan cricket director Muhammad Hafeez has claimed that ex-captain, Babar Azam and foreign coaches Mickey Arthur and Grant Bradburn had given team fitness lowest priority in the lead-up to the ODI World Cup in India.
The match against New Zealand will be a repeat of their 2019 semi-final in Manchester which the Kiwis won by 18 runs.
Despite their up and down showing in the league stage, there is no doubt that England are one of the most complete teams in the World Cup and are heavy favourites for Sunday's final, but New Zealand won't give up without a fight.
New Zealand were bundled out for 126
A spirited performance from their bowlers saw Royal Challengers Bengaluru outclass Chennai Super Kings by 27 runs to qualify for the play-offs.
CSK can ill-afford to take Punjab Kings lightly, who are coming in to this match after chasing down a world record total of 262 against KKR.
Kane Williamson retired hurt after getting a knock on his thumb from a throw.
Hussey also expressed confidence in Rachin Ravindra's mental resilience despite recent misses, and said a good knock from the Kiwi may just be round the corner.
Mohit Sharma finished off CSK's hopes with an inspirational spell in the middle overs.
Pakistan bowlers had to break their back for the occasional success on a flat track at the National Stadium and more toil awaited them after New Zealand resumed on 440-6.
Australia coach Andrew McDonald is unperturbed by batter Marnus Labuschagne's recent run of low scores, saying that there are going to be "ebbs and flows" in one's Test career and the team is much more concerned about their batting line-up performing well as a collective.
Skipper Kane Williamson says New Zealand are looking forward to a World Cup semi-final with India if the are fortunate enough to make it.
But with the Kiwis set to play a total of 14 Tests during the current cycle, Mitchell knows his side have plenty of work ahead before they think about a potential place in the World Test Championship final at Lord's in the middle of 2025.
Slamming the move of breaking the worldwide famous opening pair of Babar Azam and Mohammed Rizwan following the team's loss in the T20I series against New Zealand, former Pakistan cricketer and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Ramiz Raja asked the selectors what benefit they gained out of it.
There were many contenders on Sunday for the best batter's prize: Salt, Jacks, Iyer, Patidar, Karn Sharma...
New Zealand paceman Neil Wagner called time on his 64-Test career on Tuesday, bowing out as the nation's fifth highest wicket-taker with 260 victims after being informed he would not be selected in the upcoming series against Australia.
Current calculations point to a World Cup semi-final between India and New Zealand in Mumbai, and pacer Trent Boult expressed hope that the aggressive approach of Rohit Sharma's side will give the Kiwis a chance to snap the hosts' red-hot run.
He has scored 994 runs in 35 innings at an average of 31.06. However, his statistics suggest his struggle against red-ball giants like New Zealand, England and now South Africa.
Images from the ICC World Cup match between Australia and New Zealand, in Dharamsala, on Saturday.
Virat Kohli's World record 50th ODI hundred, a scintillating century by Shreyas Iyer and Mohammed Shami's brilliant pace bowling powered the hosts past New Zealand in the first semi-final with a 70-run victory at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai on Wednesday.
Former wicketkeeper-batsman Parthiv Patel said India have all the 'bases covered' for the ICC World Test Championship final against New Zealand, to be played in Southampton from June 18 to 22.
Fakhar Zaman's ninth hundred in One Day Internationals trumped Daryl Mitchell's breezy century as Pakistan clinched a five-wicket victory over New Zealand.
New Zealand got plenty of opportunities to draw level in the form of five more penalty corners in the final three minutes but their execution was not up to the mark.
Australia opener Travis Head is a player of great class who saves his greatest performances for the biggest occasions. He was at his best throughout the majority of 2023, and when it counted most, he helped Australia win a sixth World Cup in India. He hammered an unbelievable 137 against India in the decider to help Australia lift the trophy.
Defending champions Chennai Super Kings clash against Gujarat Titans in a repeat of last season's final in the IPL 2024 match in Chennai on Tuesday.
IMAGES of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Sunrisers Hyderabad IPL match at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Monday.
Win against Pakistan pushed the Kiwis to top of the heap as they became the sixth country in the past 10 years to be ranked number one in Test cricket.
Going into the One-day series, India will start overwhelming favourites with the statistics stacked against the visitors.
The Capitals made a challenging 194 for five as Shafali Varma mustered a 31-ball 50 after they were asked to bat first.
New Zealand all-rounder Glenn Phillips was purportedly seen applying saliva on the ball on Day 3 of the first Test between Bangladesh and the Kiwis on Thursday according to ESPNcricinfo.
Bangladesh vice-captain Najmul Hossain Shanto says the team is hoping to benefit from the inputs it is receiving from technical consultant Sridharan Sriram in the World Cup matches, including Friday's game against New Zealand.
Centuries from openers Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan powered Titans to an emphatic victory against champions CSK.
Former Pakistan player and cricket expert Sikander Bakht made a shocking claim about Indian skipper Rohit Sharma's toss technique.
Pathan mentioned that the Hyderabad-based franchise needs a proper spinner who can take wickets.
Rajasthan Royals pulled off the highest run chase in the history of IPL to edge Kolkata Knight Riders by two wickets.
New Zealand have never beaten South Africa in a Test series in nearly a century of trying and will rarely have a better chance to break that drought than in two matches against a severely depleted side starting on Sunday.
New Zealand batsman Martin Guptill says their pace attack have forged a blueprint they will seek to follow for the rest of the World Cup after dismantling the Sri Lankan batting order in Saturday's opening win in Cardiff.
Axar Patel claimed 2/23 and 2/16 in India's identical six-wicket wins over Afghanistan in the first two T20Is.
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