Afghanistan vs Pakistan in Sri Lanka

AFG vs PAK, 3rd ODI

Preview 

AFG will try to avoid a whitewash in the ODI series when they face Babar Azam-led Babar Azam in the 3rd ODI and final match that will take place at R.Premadasa Stadium, Colombo on Saturday at 03:00 PM. In the second ODI match, PAK managed to pull off a close one-wicket win over Afghanistan while chasing the target of 301, the gallantry of solid contributions from the top order batters Imam-Ul-Haq, Babar Azam and the leg spinner Shadab Khan. With this result, Men in Blue has taken a 2-0 lead in the one-day series.

On the other hand, AFG will be looking to learn from their mistakes and put in an improved performance with the ball. Skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi will be hoping that the side can earn a consolation win over PAK in this dead rubber.

In the previous match, the left-handed batter Imam-Ul-Haq played well for PAK and finished the innings with the top score of 91 off 105 balls with the help of 4 boundaries. Imam was well supported by captain Babar Azam, the number one ODI batter scored 53 runs off 66 balls. Besides Imam and Babar, the leg spinner Shadab Khan played well and smashed a brisk 48 off 35 balls with the help of 3 boundaries and one six. Tail-ender Naseem Shah struck two boundaries off the last over to see PAK pull off a close win over AFG.

In the previous match, the wicket-keeper batter Rahmanullah Gurbaz was the star of the show with the bat for AFG and finished the innings by pummeling 151 runs off 151 balls with the help of 14 fours and 3 sixes. He was well supported by Ibrahim Zadran, who scored 80 runs off 101 balls. AFG and PAK have faced each other 6-times in ODIs. PAK takes a 6-0 lead in all those matches against AFG, beating the Afghans comfortably each time.

Match Details

Match: AFG vs PAK, 3rd ODI, Afghanistan vs Pakistan in Sri Lanka, 2023

Date: Saturday, August 26, 2023

Time: 03:00 PM

Venue: R.Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, Sri Lanka

Pitch Report

R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, Sri Lanka will host the 3rd ODI match of the series between AFG and PAK. The wicket prepared for the game to be played at this venue will be full of runs for batting units. Both sides will be keen to win the toss, bowl first and restrict the opposition team to less than 275 runs. The majority of the ODIs played on this track have been won by the side batting first.

AFG vs PAK Squads

AFG: Hashmatullah Shahidi (C), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (Wk), Rahmat Shah, Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi, Ibrahim Zadran, Riaz Hassan, Najibullah Zadran, Ikram Alikhil, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Abdul Rahman, Mohammad Saleem Safi, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Wafadar Momand

PAK: Babar Azam (C), Mohammad Rizwan (Wk), Abdullah Shafique, Shadab Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Shaheen Afridi, Tayyab Tahir, Agha Salman, Faheem Ashraf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Haris, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Usama Mir, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf

AFG vs PAK Probable Playing XIs

AFG: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Riaz Hassan, Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Ikram Alikhil, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Rahmat Shah, Noor Ahmad

PAK: Babar Azam (captain), Imam-ul-Haq, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Haris, Agha Salman, Iftikhar Ahmad, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jnr., Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf

Match Prediction

Based on the current form, PAK will be clear favourites to win the third and final game of the series against AFG. PAK has the likes of Imam-Ul-Haq, Babar Azam and Shadab Khan putting in crucial performances, Babar Azam-led PAK will be keen to maintain their winning ways in this dead rubber. On the other hand, AFG bowlers once again faltered in the final overs of the innings. Hashmatullah Shahidi-led AFG will have to do something special to avoid the ODI series whitewash against PAK. We say PAK to win this match as well and make it 3-0.

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