Devine: New Zealand ready to be flexible to get to semi-finals
Media release
New Zealand captain Sophie Devine believes her side are ready to do what they need to do to reach the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 semi-finals.
The White Ferns know they could reach the knockout stages for the first time since 2016 with a win on Monday but might need to boost their net run rate should India beat Australia beforehand.
Their opponents Pakistan still have an outside chance of progressing from Group A but will need an Australia victory over India alongside a big win against New Zealand, who are wary of Pakistan’s threat.
“Cricket has a funny way of biting you in the bum if you don't give it the respect it deserves," Devine said.
“We are in a really good position where we know exactly where our pool is going to lie before our last game.
“If we have to go about things slightly differently, we have got the options to do that with a squad that's really flexible.”
New Zealand impressed in their 58-run win over India in their opening match and are in an excellent position to qualify, despite losing to Australia on Tuesday.
They have coped well with tricky batting conditions in the UAE and Devine feels that the low-scoring matches have made the tournament more competitive.
She said: “The conditions have actually brought everyone a lot closer together because no one really feels at home playing on slow low wickets.
“The team that can adapt and adjust best to these conditions are probably going to be the team that wins this World Cup.
"I think we'd be more concerned if we thought that we were perfect.
“There are still so many areas of improvement that we can focus on.”
Pakistan have confirmed that skipper Fatima Sana will return to the side tomorrow, having briefly returned home after the death of her father.
Sana has struck at 153 so far in her two matches, the second-highest strike rate in the tournament so far.
Pakistan know a win tomorrow could earn them a surprise semi-final spot but will need a large swing in net run rate, and for India to lose to Australia.
Vice-captain Muneeba Ali said: “We are all hopeful to win tomorrow's match and to win by a good margin.
“We will talk to our analysts before the match and a lot of things will be clear then.”
After winning their opening match against Sri Lanka, Pakistan have lost their next two, including a heavy defeat against Australia on Friday.
They have never progressed beyond the first round at the T20 World Cup, despite appearing at every edition but will know exactly what they need to do to make history on Monday.
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