Afghanistan vs Pakistan World Cup Match 24 Predictions, Odds, Picks

• Though it would still require official confirmation, given their last two matches are against non-Test playing nations, a win here could virtually seal Pakistan’s place for the semi-finals.
• Afghanistan, however, are no pushovers. Putting up a good total will be a challenge against their fantastic bowling unit, which has conceded less than 150 runs in all of their last three matches, which includes two warm-up games.
• For Afghanistan, tackling Pakistan’s threat with the new ball will be a challenge. In their last four matches, which includes two warm-up games, Pakistan have picked up 8 wickets in the first six overs.

Afghanistan vs Pakistan Odds

Odds for this Afghanistan vs Pakistan match taken from BetMGM

Pakistan and Afghanistan have not crossed paths often in the shortest format of the game. In fact, these two sides have met only once in T20I cricket, which was way back in 2013. Pakistan did emerge victoriously in that game, but the win was far from comfortable, as the green shirts got over the line in only the last over of the match. Given their form and the momentum they have got, Pakistan are the favorites for this match.

Pakistan to Win (-333)

Predicted XI

Afghanistan: Hazratullah Zazai, Mohammad Shahzad (wk), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Asghar Afghan, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi (c), Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, Karim Janat, Naveen-ul-Haq, Mujeeb Ur Rahman

Pakistan: Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Babar Azam (c), Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Asif Ali, Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Wasim Jr/Hasan Ali, Haris Rauf, Shaheen Afridi

High on Confidence, Afghanistan and Pakistan Are Looking to Extend Their Winning run

Confidence is not something that will not be found wanting in either the Pakistani or the Afghan camp, as both sides will be in high spirits. Afghanistan and Pakistan came into this tournament on the back of a few weeks of turmoil, albeit owing to very different reasons, but when they were asked to deliver on the field, they lived up to their nations’ expectations.

Pakistan started off with a 10-wicket win against India, which both nations will remember for a long time. In their last match, the green shirts got the better of New Zealand by 5 wickets. Afghanistan, on the other hand, have played only one match thus far. They started their Super 12 campaign with a match against Scotland, where they registered a stunning 130-run triumph.

Team News

Having won two matches on the bounce, there is no reason for Pakistan to make any changes to their playing XI. However, if they still want to put the team under the microscope, there is room for further improvement. Hasan Ali has been expensive in both matches, while he also failed to pick up a wicket in his last match. In his place, Mohammad Wasim Jnr could be a good fit.

Afghanistan’s case is a bit different from Pakistan’s. Such was their dominance in the last match against Scotland that even if we were to put their team under the microscope, there does not seem to be any room for changes. Every single player played their part to perfection. A few like Karim Janat and Gulbadin Naib did not contribute much, which was not because of any fault of their own, but simply because the team did not require their services. Hence, Afghanistan are likely to go with the same playing XI.

Key Players

Mohammad Rizwan: A consistent run-scorer in all formats of the game, Mohammad Rizwan has proved to be one of Pakistan’s more reliable openers in the recent times. He has scored 112 runs in two matches, which is the most by any batter from his team. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa lad scored 33 runs in the last match against the Kiwis, while against India, he played a remarkable knock of unbeaten 79 runs.

Rashid Khan: Besides death and taxes, Rashid Khan picking up wickets for fun at every tournament he plays in is another certainty. The Afghan spin sensation picked up four important wickets in the last match against Scotland, which included the wicket of Scotland’s hero from the match against Bangladesh, Chris Greaves.

How to Watch Afghanistan vs Pakistan