World ODI Cup 2023

Match 34: NED vs AFG

Preview 

Netherlands and Afghanistan will battle it out against one another in match number 34 of the World Cup 2023. Both teams are coming off a win in their respective most recent clashes. While Netherlands usurped Bangladesh, Afghanistan defeated Sri Lanka. 

The Men in orange have punched above their weight by beating teams like South Africa and Bangladesh in this World Cup. However, with 4 points from six matches, they will need to win each of their three remaining fixtures including this one to stay in the race for the playoffs. 

The top four of the batting order will need to step up if they want to induce a favourable outcome. Max O'Dowd and Vikramjeet Singh have failed to contribute at the top of the order so far as both could only muster 100 runs after 6 innings. 

Wesley Barresi, who played his first match of this edition against Bangladesh in the last outing, scored 41 runs and appears to be in good nick. Skipper Scott Edwards has led the team from the front by being the leading run scorer for the Netherlands. Apart from him, Sybrand Engelbrecht and Colin Ackerman have done well in patches. 

The team also comprises a couple of decent all rounders in the form of Logan Van Beek and Bas De Leede. Their performance will be critical to their team’s success in this match. Paul Van Meekeran with 10 wickets is NED’s top wicket taker in the tournament. 

Afghanistan is having an exceptional outing in this marquee event. They had managed to pick only one win at the showpiece event before the start of this competition. In a sensational turn of events, Afghanistan has already registered three wins in the six matches they have played so far and is within touching distance of the playoffs. 

Batting has been Afghanistan’s strongest suit in the competition thus far. Ibrahim Zadran and Rahmanullah Gurbaz have put together two century stands and will once again eye to give the team a formidable start. Hashmatullah Shahidi, Azmatullah Omarzai and Rahmat Shah have been quite consistent throughout the competition, scoring two half centuries apiece. 

The bowling has somewhat led them down and that is something they will want to improve on. Rashid Khan with 7 scalps is their leading wicket taker. He will lead the spin prowess alongside Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Mohammad Nabi. 

In the pace department, Naveen Ul-Haq and Fazalhaq Farooqi have secured 6 wickets each, while Azmatullah Omarzai has picked up 5 wickets. 

Match Details

Match: NED vs AFG, 34th Match, World ODI Cup 2023

Date: Friday, November 03, 2023

Time: 2:00 PM

Venue: Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow

Pitch and Weather Report

The Lucknow pitch is one of the more challenging surfaces to bat on in this tournament. 217 is the average first innings total on this ground. However, the team batting first will look to get a minimum of 250 runs. This will be the 5th match at this venue and the surface has quite a few rough patches. 

The spin bowlers will play a crucial role throughout the match. Cloudy weather is forecasted throughout the day but there is no prospect of rain. 

The temperature will stay between 25 to 30 degree celsius. Dew might come into play during the second half of the match. 

NED vs AFG Squads

NED: Scott Edwards (c & wk), Vikramjit Singh, Max ODowd, Wesley Barresi, Colin Ackermann, Bas de Leede, Sybrand Engelbrecht, Logan van Beek, Shariz Ahmad, Aryan Dutt, Paul van Meekeren, Saqib Zulfiqar, Teja Nidamanuru, Ryan Klein, Roelof van der Merwe

AFG: Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Ikram Alikhil (wk), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Noor Ahmad, Riaz Hassan, Abdul Rahman, Najibullah Zadran 

NED vs AFG Probable Playing XIs

NED: Vikramjit Singh, Max O’Dowd, Colin Ackermann, Bas de Leede, Wesley Barresi, Scott Edwards (c and wk), Sybrand Engelbrecht, Logan van Beek, Shariz Ahmad, Aryan Dutt, Paul van Meekeren

AFG: Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Azmatullah Omarzai, Ikram Alikhil (wk), Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi

Match Prediction

Spin bowlers will play a pivotal role in this match and Afghanistan have plenty of decent spinners in their ranks. We predict them to enjoy success on this track. 

Our Prediction: Afghanistan to win this encounter. 

Suggested Playing XI Real11 Fantasy Cricket


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