ICC U19 World Cup, Match 23, Pakistan U19 vs Papua New Guinea U19: Probable XIs, match prediction, weather forecast and pitch report

Pakistan U19 will be looking to get a win under their belt.

Pakistan will lock horns with Papua New Guinea (PNG) in match 23 of the ICC Under-19 World Cup at the Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain on Saturday, 22nd January.

Pakistan head into this game off consecutive wins, having beaten Zimbabwe in their tournament-opener and Afghanistan. Batting first in their last game, Pakistan put up a 239-run total on a tricky surface.

Abdul Faseeh (95-ball 68) and Muhammad Shehzad (51-ball 43) were their top-scorers. Cameos from Qasim Akram and Maaz Sadaqat helped Pakistan reach a formidable total. Awais Ali was the top wicket-taker for Pakistan, claiming figures of 3-36. Qasim Akram claimed two wickets while Maaz Sadaqat took one to derail the Afghan chase.

Meanwhile, Papua New Guinea are coming off defeats in their opening two games. They lost their tournament opener to Zimbabwe before coming up second-best against Afghanistan.

Bowling first against Afghanistan, PNG bowled out Afghanistan for 200 runs. Katenalaki Singi (4-18) and Rasan Kevau (3-23) were the top wicket-takers for PNG. Chasing a modest total, PNG collapsed to only 65, though.

Pakistan U19 vs Papua New Guinea U19 Match Details

Match: Pakistan U19 vs Papua New Guinea U19, Match 23 ICC Under-19 World Cup.

Date: 22nd January 2022.

Time: 6:30 PM IST

Venue: Queen’s Park Oval, Port of Spain.

Pitch Report

The surface at the Queen’s Park Oval is a good one. It is expected to assist batters, who should be able play their shots after a watchful start. Pacers will need to provide their team with breakthroughs. Spinners will need to be accurate in the middle overs. The team winning the toss should look to bat first here.

Weather Report

Partly overcast conditions are expected to be a feature on matchday. The temperature is expected to range between 22 and 29 degrees Celsius. No rain is expected during the day.

Probable XIs

Pakistan U19

Muhammad Shehzad, Haseebullah Khan (wk), Abdul Faseeh, Irfan Khan, Qasim Akram (c), Maaz Sadaqat, Abbas Ali, Ahmed Khan, Zeeshan Zameer, Mehran Mumtaz.

Papua New Guinea U19

Peter Karoho (wk), Bolo Ray, Barnabas Maha (c), Malcolm Aporo, Christopher Kilapat, Ryan Ani, Katenalaki Singi, Aue Oru, Junior Morea, Rasan Kevau, John Kariko.

Match Prediction

Pakistan have played some quality cricket in the tournament, and have held their nerve at crucial junctures. Meanwhile, Papua New Guinea have failed to show the spark needed to win matches at this level. That makes Pakistan the favourites to win this game on Saturday.