In the second semi-final of the U19 World Cup 2024 in Benoni, Australia has decided to bowl first against Pakistan. The winner of this match will face India in the final of the tournament on February 11.
Australian captain Hugh Weibegn mentioned that they were tempted to bat second after inspecting the pitch conditions during the first semi-final. He explained that they observed some cracks and softness on the pitch yesterday but noted that it improved for batting in the last game played there.
Weibegn stated that they made three changes to their lineup, opting to include an extra batter despite the temptation to play four fast bowlers. He also expressed confidence in their ability to handle spin bowling based on their performance in Kimberley.
Meanwhile, Pakistan captain Saad Baig expressed his expectation that the batsmen would take responsibility. He mentioned that they would have also chosen to bat first if they had won the toss. Baig emphasized the importance of batsmen taking their time to score runs, particularly in the first 10 overs, and selecting the right balls for big shots.
The team lineups.
Australia: S Konstas, HT Dixon, HD Weibgen (c), Harjas Singh, RR Hicks (wk), OJ Peake, TE Campbell, R MacMillan, T Straker, M Beardman, CA Vidler
Pakistan: Shahzaib Khan, Shamyl Hussain, Azan Awais, Saad Baig (c) (wk), Ahmad Hassan, Haroon Arshad, Arafat Minhas, Ubaid Shah, Mohammad Zeeshan, Ali Raza, Naveed Ahmed Khan
