PAK vs AFG: Afghanistan out to be in the finals

PAK vs AFG
PAK vs AFG: Following Pakistan’s triumph in the Super 4, the team enters its match against Afghanistan with a heightened sense of self-assurance. Their ability to alter their strategy was highlighted by their convincing victory against India, which overcame the poor performance of several major players. If India and Afghanistan were to win their match against each other on September 7, they would automatically be eliminated from the Asia Cup.

PAK vs AFG: Afghanistan to fight

Afghanistan, on the other hand, lost after two victories in a row and will be attempting to restart their campaign in this game that must be won. They will enter with a little edge because they have played one more game at the Sharjah Cricket venue than Pakistan.

However, the defeat to Sri Lanka exposed a few chinks in their defense, most notably in the consistency of their middle order, with Mohammad Nabi, their captain, being the biggest concern. Over the course of the competition, their top-order firepower, headed by openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Hazratullah Zazai, has mostly covered these cracks, and they will be counted on to carry the load once more. Their ability to defend against Pakistan’s high-pace onslaught will be their newer obstacle.

PAK vs AFG: Pakistan to maintain the form

In terms of form, Pakistan is in a similar situation, but they have managed to address both issues. Frontline fast bowlers’ injuries have not hindered their ability to bowl, as demonstrated by the fact that players like Shadab Khan and Mohammad Nawaz have dominated the tournament’s spin statistics. Pakistan is in a stronger position given that they would be operating during a difficult time for Afghanistan.

Previous encounters between the two teams have had an added advantage. The Asia Cup, a closely-contested event where the outcome of the game is expected to have a substantial impact on the fortunes of other teams in the competition, will be added to that.

PAK vs AFG: Match Details  

When: 7th September 2022, 7.30 PM

Where: Sharjah Cricket Stadium

Head to head: Despite coming in second place all three times, Afghanistan has finished behind Pakistan in the three competitions that have taken place between the two countries since Afghanistan became a Full Member.

PAK vs AFG: Team Updates

Afghanistan

Afghanistan’s success will be heavily dependent on the performance of Mohammad Nabi, but Rashid Khan will once again be one of their most important players. The leg-spinner has bowled Babar Azam out of the crease five times in as many innings in Twenty20 cricket: once in T20Is, once in T20 Blast, and three times in the Pakistan Super League.

Pakistan

In spite of the fact that they are worried about Mohammad Rizwan’s health as a result of the knee injury he sustained in the match against India, they are hoping that a victory in the match before will put their minds at ease. Despite this, they continue to have reservations regarding Mohammad Rizwan’s health.

There is a reason for concern regarding the form of players like Fakhar Zaman and Babar Azam. Fakhar Zaman’s batting average in the last four years has been just over 18, and Babar Azam’s batting average has dropped from 43 to 21 since the 2021 World Cup. Both of these players’ averages are below the level that would be considered acceptable. The batting averages of each of these players have taken huge nosedives.

PAK vs AFG: Probable playing XI

Pakistan

Fakhar Zaman, Khushdil Shah, Asif Ali, Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Nawaz, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Naseem Shah

Afghanistan

Ibrahim Zadran, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Hazratullah Zazai, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Karim Janat, Naveen-ul-Haq, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Rashid Khan, Samiullah Shinwari, Fazalhaq Farooqi

PAK vs AFG: Trivia

During this year’s event, Shadab Khan has not yet been hit for a six by a batter.

In each of the final seven innings, Mohammad Nabi was out after scoring one or fewer runs and was thereafter removed.