Afghanistan vs Pakistan – One-Day International Preview & Prediction
AT A GLANCE
When is Afghanistan vs Pakistan taking place? Friday, 24th May, 10:30
Where Afghanistan vs Pakistan taking place? Bristol
What is the expected weather for Afghanistan vs Pakistan? 17-19c with sunshine and cloudy intervals but no rain forecast
What channel is Afghanistan vs Pakistan on? The match will be shown live on Sky Sports Cricket
Where can I stream Afghanistan vs Pakistan? Afghanistan vs Pakistan will be streamed live on Sky Go
Are tickets still available for Afghanistan vs Pakistan? https://tickets.cricketworldcup.com/ticketingInfo.html
LAST MEETING
Pakistan beat Afghanistan by 3 wickets
THE TEAM NEWS
AFGHANISTAN
Captain: Gulbadin Naib
- Afghanistan’s form ahead of the World up has been incredibly inconsistent and it has not been helped by the decision to change captain just months before the event with Asghar Afghan standing down and being replaced by Gulbadin Naib in a decision that was largely unpopular among the players.
- That is unlikely to impact their performances at the World Cup as their players will be determined to prove themselves at the highest level but they will have to improve significantly after some mixed results against the likes of Ireland and Scotland in 2019.
- The line-up and batting order has not been confirmed as yet but they will surely start to field their likely starting eleven here for the World Cup and give the chance to Mohammad Shahzad and probably Hazratullah Zazai to open the batting and forge a partnership.
PAKISTAN
Captain: Sarfaraz Ahmed
- Pakistan have now lost their last ten completed ODI matches following their 4-0 whitewashing by England and they return to Bristol where they lost the third ODI against England by six wickets despite posting 358/9 batting first.
- They will be desperate to get a win under their belts here and regain some much-needed confidence ahead of the World Cup and they will also be keen to give some game time to Mohammad Amir who has been out of action with chicken pox, and Wahab Riaz who earned a surprise place in the World Cup squad after their bowlers were taken apart by England.
- Imam-ul-Haq should be available to play after his nasty elbow injury sustained in the fourth ODI while talented leg-spinner Shadab Khan could finally play after injury although Asif Ali is unlikely to feature after the tragic death of his young daughter.
THE PREDICTION
Despite this being a World Cup warm-up match, there is plenty riding on this match for Pakistan especially who desperately need a win after ten consecutive defeats. They face a dangerous Afghan team that will be tinkering with their own line-up and trying to finalise their approach for the World Cup. They have been incredibly inconsistent against lower quality opposition as they have struggled to beat Ireland in recent series. Pakistan are in a degree of turmoil with their strongest eleven far from obvious, but the matches against England should stand them well and they should overpower Afghanistan here.
