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| Pakistan vs Afghanistan |
Who: Pakistan vs Afghanistan
When: Monday, October 23, 2pm (08:30 GMT)
Where: MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, India
We are now at the halfway mark of the World Cup, and the tournament standings are beginning to solidify. Afghanistan and Pakistan, the teams set to face each other in Chennai, find themselves far from the top of the table. It's now a crucial juncture for both teams, and a loss here could be a significant setback. For Afghanistan, a defeat would almost certainly put them out of contention, while Pakistan would have little room for error if they lose this match.
Pakistan, led by Babar Azam, is aiming to bounce back after facing challenging losses in their last two matches. They will face Afghanistan in Chennai, with Pakistan currently positioned fifth on the points table. Afghanistan, on the other hand, is at the bottom of the table, having won just one of their four matches in the tournament.
Despite Pakistan being the favorites on paper, the match might not be straightforward, especially on the Chepauk pitch, which traditionally supports spin bowling. Considering Afghanistan's strong spin attack, featuring Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, and Mohammad Nabi, Pakistan will face a substantial challenge in Chennai.
Afghanistan has often found itself in situations where there's very little to differentiate between the two sides. However, they have yet to secure an ODI victory against their fierce regional rivals. The memory of their near miss in the 2019 World Cup, when they had a golden opportunity to knock Pakistan out but fell just short, still lingers. A win on Monday would be of similar importance. While Afghanistan has shown flashes of brilliance, they have also had periods of mediocrity with both their batting and bowling.
There are two areas where Afghanistan holds an advantage over their more accomplished opponents: a potent top-order and world-class spin bowling. Rahmanullah Gurbaz, in particular, has been destructive in the powerplay, hitting seven sixes in this World Cup, while Pakistan has managed none in 2023. With Pakistan's openers out of form, this could be a key area where Afghanistan can excel.
On the bowling front, while Pakistan is struggling to make the most of their spinners like Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, and Usama Mir, Afghanistan's spin department is strong. Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman are highly regarded spinners, and Mohammad Nabi effectively curbs opposition momentum during the middle overs. Pakistan has often had to resort to pace or remove expensive spinners from the attack. Coupled with questions about Babar Azam's tactical captaincy, Afghanistan may see a vulnerability in Pakistan to exploit.
Form guide:
Afghanistan: LWLLL
Pakistan: LLWWL
Key players to watch: Ikram Alikhil and Shaheen Afridi
Ikram Alikhil, a 22-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman, was not part of Afghanistan's starting lineup for nearly two months until he was called upon to play against England last week. This decision turned out to be inspired, as he guided Afghanistan through a challenging phase in the middle overs when they were in danger of collapsing. He scored a crucial half-century that helped Afghanistan defeat England, and his keeping in the last two games has been notably solid. In this must-win match for both teams, he has the opportunity to secure his place in the lineup for the foreseeable future.
Pitch and conditions
The pitch for this match will be identical to the one used two weeks ago for the Australia-India game, which implies that there will likely be a significant amount of spin available for both teams.
However, it's important to note that Chennai is expected to experience extremely hot and oppressive conditions throughout the afternoon. With an excessive heat warning in effect, this could influence the decision for the team winning the toss to bat first.
Squad
Pakistan Predicted XIs
- Imam-ul-Haq,
- Abdullah Shafique,
- Babar Azam (C),
- Mohammad Rizwan (WK),
- Saud Shakeel,
- Iftikhar Ahmed,
- Mohammad Nawaz,
- Hasan Ali,
- Usama Mir,
- Shaheen Afridi,
- Haris Rauf.
Afghanistan Predicted XIs
- Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK),
- Ibrahim Zadran,
- Rahmat Shah,
- Hashmatullah Shahidi (C),
- Mohammad Nabi,
- Ikram Alikhil,
- Azmatullah Omarzai,
- Rashid Khan,
- Mujeeb Ur Rahman,
- Fazalhaq Farooqi,
- Naveen-ul-Haq.