The former Pakistan captain, Inzamam-ul-Haq is expecting a competitive contest between England and New Zealand in the first semi-final of the T20 World Cup 2021 on November 10. England had topped Group 1 of the Super 12 stage, while New Zealand finished second in Group 2. Despite the way England have played in recent years, Inzamam believes New Zealand should not be taken lightly.
"Everyone is labeling England as favourites, and deservedly so, given their performance over the last two years. New Zealand, on the other hand, have performed admirably in all formats. They are champions in the longest format and have a high ranking in one-day internationals. They've also done well in this year's T20 World Cup. So, I won't say New Zealand is an inferior team than England," Inzamam said on his YouTube Channel.
Moreover, the former Pakistan skipper credited New Zealand’s skipper Kane Williamson for their positive change in approach.
"Ever since Williamson has become captain, NZ's playing style has changed very much. Their body language is very positive. They are playing aggressive cricket in a sensible manner," the 51-year-old added.
Much like Williamson, Inzamam felt that England’s mode of playing cricket has improved after the appointment of their skipper Eoin Morgan.
"Similarly, England have been playing brutally aggressive cricket since Morgan took over as captain. They have a great bowling assault and are quite good at chasing totals. England will be without Tymal Mills and Jason Roy, but New Zealand will field a full team," the former right-handed batter asserted.
In their last encounter in the T20 World Cup 2016 at Feroz Shah Kotla (now Arun Jaitley stadium), Delhi, Morgan-led England had defeated the BlackCaps by seven wickets.
