T20WC Preview: PAK vs AFG

Pakistan after winning two games on a trot will lock horns with Afghanistan for only 2nd time in T20Is who will be very confident after a comprehensive win against Scotland. This will be a crucial game as Pakistan will look to seal their semi-final spot while Afghanistan will look to rise above everyone’s expectations and upset Pakistan.

Pakistan is performing really well in both batting and bowling. Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan are the pillars of their batting. Their middle-order did well in the last game but they’ll want them to get more match-time and eventually do better.  Their bowling is performing well with Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Hasan Ali in the pace department. Their spinners may get tested against Afghan batters.

Afghanistan on the other hand looked really solid as a team against Scotland. Their batsmen were exceptional while the spinners never allowed Scotland to settle. Pakistan is obviously a very better opponent than Scotland but don’t make the mistake of underestimating Afghanistan.

Players like Mohammad Shahzad, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Najibullah Zadran, Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi, and Mujeeb ur Rahman are quality players and Afghanistan can get the better of any team, especially with the conditions favoring them.

Probable Playing 11

No changes are expected from both sides.

Pakistan: Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Imad Wasim, Asif Ali, Shadab Khan, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf

Afghanistan: Mohammad Shahzad (wk), Hazratullah Zazai, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Najibullah Zadran, Asghar Afghan, Mohammad Nabi (c), Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, Karim Janat, Naveen Ul Haq, Mujeeb ur Rahman.

Pitch Report

This match will be at the Dubai International Stadium, Dubai. Chasing has been the way to go on this pitch because of the dew effect. Spinners get some assistance off the wicket in the first innings. Scores of 160-170 can be expected. Teams winning the toss will look to chase on this pitch.

Match-Ups

Babar vs Rashid: 33 runs, 2 dismissals
Gurbaz vs Imad: 3 runs, 1 dismissal
Babar vs Right Arm Spin: Average 88, SR 124
Rizwan vs Right Arm Spin: Average 52, SR 120
Fakhar vs Right Arm Spin: Average 18
Asif vs Right Arm Spin: Average 8

 

Key Players

Pakistan

• Babar Azam: Skipper Babar Azam is Pakistan’s best batsman at the moment in all three formats. He’s the ranked 2 batsman in T20Is. Babar is in good form as well, he scored an unbeaten 68 in the first game against India. Babar will look to lead his team to another victory and confirm their semi-final spot.
   
• Shaheen Afridi: Shaheen Afridi has been phenomenal with the ball. He is picking wickets for fun in the power play and in the death overs as well. He is Pakistan’s go-to bowler and will look to continue his good form with the ball.
   
• Mohammad Rizwan: Mohammad Rizwan is another very important batter for Bangladesh. His opening partnership with Babar is very crucial for Pakistan. Rizwan has 158 runs in the last 3 T20I innings.
   

Afghanistan

• Rahmanullah Gurbaz: Rahmanullah Gurbaz looked really good in the first game against Scotland. He played smartly and scored 46 runs in that game. Gurbaz is an attacking player and a key batter for Afghanistan. He will be eyeing a good performance in this game against Pakistan.
   
• Rashid Khan: Rashid Khan is arguably the best bowler in T20 cricket. He is a genuine wicket-taker and a very consistent performer. Rashid picked 4 wickets against Scotland and Afghanistan will need the same performance against Pakistan as well.
   
• Hazratullah Zazai: Hazratullah Zazai played a blistering knock against Scotland and being a left-hander it will be a huge bonus for Afghanistan if he can tackle Shaheen Afridi’s new-ball spell and give another good start to his team.

Predictions

Captain Options:

• Babar Azam (Safe)
• Mohammad Rizwan (Safe)
• Shaheen Afridi (Safe) (Bowling First)
• Rashid Khan (Safe)
• Hazratullah Zazai (Risky)
• Rahmanullah Gurbaz (Risky)

Disclaimer:  These teams are based on the writer's understanding of the game and do not guarantee to win in fantasy cricket. Users are advised to create their own teams with the information provided.