Pakistan vs Netherlands Preview & Prediction | 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup | Group Stage

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THE FACTS

When is Pakistan vs Netherlands on and what time does it start? Pakistan vs Netherlands will take place on Friday 6th October, 2023 – 09:30 (UK)

Where is Pakistan vs Netherlands taking place? Pakistan vs Netherlands will take place at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad, India

Where can I get tickets for Pakistan vs Netherlands? Click here for the latest ticket information for Pakistan vs Netherlands

What channel is Pakistan vs Netherlands on in the UK? Pakistan vs Netherlands will be televised live on Sky Sports

Where can I stream Pakistan vs Netherlands in the UK? Sky Sports subscribers can stream Pakistan vs Netherlands live on Sky Go

THE LOWDOWN

PAKISTAN

Coach: Grant Bradburn

Captain: Babar Azam

• Pakistan come into this World Cup with relatively high hopes and they will have the motivation of trying to win on the home soil of their arch rivals. They will however need to start better than they have in recent tournaments having lost four of their opening matches in the last five editions of this competition.
• The biggest question mark coming into this tournament has been their bowling unit which is quite rare for them so they will be hoping the likes of Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf can improve their form. In recent matches, they conceded 351/7 against Australia, 346/5 against New Zealand and 356/2 against India so they need to improve drastically if they are to do well in this tournament.

NETHERLANDS

Coach: Ryan ten Doeschate

Captain: Scott Edwards

• The Netherlands make their first appearance at the World Cup since 2011 and they have done incredibly well to get to this stage ahead of the likes of the West Indies. Their preparations have been hampered by rain disrupting several of their matches so that may leave them a little short coming into this opening match.
• The Dutch will not be overwhelmed in the slightest however as they have plenty of experience in their ranks with the likes of Bas de Leeds, Colin Ackermann, Logan van Beek, Roelof van der Merwe and Paul van Meekeren combining to form a strong unit.

THE PREDICTION

This match may not capture the imagination as the opening game between England and New Zealand, but there is every chance that this is more entertaining and closer than many may expect. Pakistan are not in great form coming into this tournament and are notorious slow starters. Against a Netherlands side that will be fired up on their long-awaited return to the competition, this could very well be a tough assignment for Pakistan. The one concern around the Netherlands is the lack of preparation so they will have to overcome that if they are to push Pakistan all the way. There is every chance they do cause some alarm for Babar Azam’s men, but expect a high-scoring affair and Pakistan’s greater quality to eventually shine through.

BETTING TIP: Pakistan to win