World Cup head-to-head: Pakistan lead New Zealand 6-2

Bengaluru, June 12: Former champions Pakistan will take on 2015 finalists New Zealand in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 in Birmingham on June 26.

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These two teams have a healthy rivalry in ODIs with Pakistan winning 54 of 106 matches played since 1973.

The Black Caps have won 48 while three games were without a result and one ending in a tie. Their last five matches saw New Zealand winning three, losing one while one game had no result.

At the World Cup, New Zealand had won their first encounter against Pakistan in 1983 but then lost six in a row, including two semifinals in 1992 and 1999.

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NZ then pulled one back in 2011 and currently trail 2-6 in head-to-head with the Men in Green in the WC.

Here is a look at the World Cup matches between Pakistan and New Zealand since the two sides first met in the 1983 edition.

New Zealand bt Pak by 52 runs; group match; Birmingham; June 11-12, 1983

Imran Khan won the toss and sent the Kiwis to bat first. The Black Caps had a moderate batting performance with opener Bruce Edgar top scoring with 44. Abdul Qadir took four for 21 and Rashid Khan three for 47. Chasing 239, Pakistan had the worst start they could imagine as they lost three wickets without a run on the board. Soon they were reduced to 60 for six and a fight from wicket-keeper Wasim Bari (34) and Qadir (41 not out) down the order was not enough as Pakistan were all out for 186, losing by 52 runs. Richard Hadlee and Jeremy Coney took three wickets each. Qadir was the man of the match.

Pakistan bt New Zealand by 11 runs; group match; Nottingham; June 20, 1983

Imran won the toss yet again and decided to bat first. This time, Pakistan made full amends to put up a score of 261 for three in 60 overs. Zaheer Abbas scored an unbeaten 103 and Imran too remained not out on 79. Coney took two for 42. New Zealand had their problems in the chase despite Coney scoring 51 and Martin Crowe chipping in with 43. A 24-ball 34 by John Bracewell at No.10 took the Kiwis close to the target after they were reduced to 187 for eight, but New Zealand were eventually all out for 250 to lose by 11 runs. For Pakistan, Mudassar Nazar took 3 for 43. Imran was the man of the match.

Pakistan bt NZ by 7 wickets; league match; Christchurch; March 18, 1992

The only match that the unstoppable Kiwis had lost in the league stage of this World Cup. Imran won the toss and sent Crowe's side to bat first. Apart from opener Mark Greatbatch (42) and Gavin Larsen (37) at No.9, nobody else could score much runs for New Zealand and they were all out for 166 in the final over. Wasim Akram took four for 32. Pakistan lost Aamer Sohail in the first ball, but his partner Rameez Raja scored an unbeaten 119 to ensure that Pakistan did not squander the chance. Pakistan lost three wickets to make 167 and all of them were taken by pacer Danny Morrison. Pakistani spinner Mushtaq Ahmed was the man of the match for taking two for 18 in 10 overs.

Pakistan bt New Zealand by 4 wickets; semifinal; Auckland; March 21, 1992

Three days after that loss, New Zealand took on Pakistan in the semifinal in Auckland and it was a heartbreak for them. Crowe won the toss and elected to bat. He led from the front to score 91 for his side and the Kiwis ended up with 262 for seven in 50 overs. Ken Rutherford scored 50. Akram and Mushtaq took two wickets each. Pakistan made the chase with a lot of heart and after a couple of 40s from Rameez Raja and Imran and a 57 not out from Javed Miandad, it was young Inzamam-ul-Haq's 37-ball 60 that won the game for Pakistan and they made their first World Cup final. Willie Watson took two for 39 as Pakistan won by 4 wickets. Inzamam was picked as the man of the match.

Pakistan beat New Zealand by 46 runs; group match; Lahore; March 6, 1996

New Zealand skipper Lee Germon won the toss and sent Wasim Akram's Pakistan to bat first. Both openers Sohail and Saeed Anwar scored fifties and Saleem Malik scored the third down at No.6 to propel Pakistan's team total to 281 for five in 50 overs. Three of those five wickets came as run-outs. None of the Kiwi batters scored a fifty even though there were lot of 40s and 30s. Four Pakistani bowlers took two wickets each to bowl New Zealand out for 235 in the 48th over to give their side a 46-run win. Malik, who also took two wickets, was the man of the match.

Pakistan beat New Zealand by 62 runs; group match; Derby; May 28, 1999

Kiwi skipper Stephen Fleming won the toss and sent Pakistan to bat first. Inzamam-ul-Haq top-scored with 73 not out and Ijaz Ahmed made 51 and Pakistan ended up at 269 for eight in 50 overs. Geoff Allott, the joint-top wicket-taker of that edition, claimed four for 64. NZ were in all sorts of trouble losing half their sides for 71 before Fleming led a fightback with 69 and Chris Harris with 42. But Pakistan bowling proved to be too strong for them as New Zealand managed only 207 for eight in 50 overs to lose by 62 runs. Azhar Mahmood took three for 38. Inzamam was the man of the match.

Pakistan bt New Zealand by 9 wickets; semi-final; Manchester; June 16, 1999

This was Pakistan's sixth win over New Zealand on the trot in the World Cup. Fleming won the toss and elected to bat. Three Kiwi batsmen scored in the 40s with Roger Twose making the highest of them (46). Speedster Shoaib Akhtar took three for 55 as NZ finished at 241 for seven in 50 overs. Pakistan had a cakewalk while chasing with opener Anwar scoring 113 not out and Wajahatullah Wasti making 84. Wasim Akram's side won the match by nine wickets as Pakistan beat New Zealand in yet another semifinal to make it to the finals.

New Zealand beat Pakistan by 110 runs; group match; Kandy; March 8, 2011

New Zealand tasted success against Pakistan in the World Cup after a gap of 28 years when they thumped them in the 2011 edition in Kandy, Sri Lanka. Daniel Vettori won the toss and elected to bat. Ross Taylor scored a magnificent 131 not out while opener Martin Guptill made 57 to take NZ past 300. Pacer Umar Gul took three for 32 for Pakistan. Chasing 303, Pakistan were 66 for six at one stage and were staring at an embarrassing defeat. Abdul Razzaq scored 62 at No.8 and Umar Akmal made 38 and Gul 34 which took Pakistan to 192 and they lost by 110 runs. Tim Southee took three for 25. Taylor was the man of the match.