Asia Cup 2018: Super Four, Match 2 - Pakistan vs Afghanistan - Pakistan Predicted XI

Pakistan will face Afghanistan in the second game of the Super Four at the same time when India and Bangladesh will lock horns in Dubai. It is a doubleheader in the Asia Cup on Friday and it will be no less than a treat for the fans in the United Arab Emirates. Pakistan will be keen to shrug off the disappointment of the loss the other day against the arch-rivals and take on the fast-improving Afghanistan team. By no means, it will be an easy game for them and a close contest is expected.

The Men in Green looked undercooked against India and should be quickly hitting the straps for this game. They will have to avoid making the same mistakes they did in the previous game. Moreover, the batters have to show some patience which was lacking and must understand that the runs will come if they grind out in the middle. Also, the scores of close to 270 is considered as winning and the teams shouldn’t aim higher.

Here we bring you Pakistan’s predicted XI for this match:

Openers (Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq)

Both the openers are immensely talented and they shouldn’t doubt themselves after a failure. Yes, they could’ve tackled the situation better, but they will only get better from here on. Fakhar Zaman needs to assess the conditions well before going for big shots and should look to get his eye in first. Everyone knows that he has the ability to cover up later.

Imam-ul-Haq simply played a rash shot to get out. He is a run-accumulator and has to play second fiddle to his partner like he has done so far in his short career. India game should’ve taught him a lot and he will be looking to rectify the mistakes against Afghanistan.

Middle-Orders (Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Sarfraz Ahmed (c & wk), Asif Ali)

Babar Azam and Shoaib Malik were the ones who brought Pakistan to the parity from two down for just three runs. Both were decent in their approach and deservedly punished the bad balls which were very few. However, one would argue that they should’ve gone on and made big scores and settling in the middle. Instead, they got out in the 40s leaving the team reeling. This time around, a better performance is expected of them.

Sarfraz Ahmed has to improve his batting. Batting at five, he is expected to control the innings in whichever situation he comes out. Also, the skipper will be keen to lead from the front after a failure in the last game and it will be interesting to see the way he approaches this encounter. Asif Ali is new to the arena and will learn as he plays more games.

All-Rounders (Shadab Khan, Faheem Ashraf)

Shadab Khan is a magical bowler. He scalped Rohit Sharma off the very first delivery of his spell and promises a lot. He felt a little uncomfortable and didn’t bowl more the other day but surely will be fit to make a significant difference in the Super Four for his team. His batting is also crucial in the death overs and contributes some important runs.

Same is the case with Faheem Ashraf. The youngster bats decently and his bowling is his primary strength. he picked the wicket of Shikhar Dhawan and should concentrate more on his line and length in the upcoming games. A lot will depend on how these two contribute to the team’s cause in the Super Four.

Bowlers (Hasan Ali, Junaid Khan, Usman Khan)

Mohammad Amir’s failure has been hurting Pakistan big time now. He should finally make way for Junaid Khan who picks wickets on a consistent basis. Junaid swings the ball and also is known to bowl at pace which troubles the batsmen more often than not. Hasan Ali had an off day as he conceded 33 in his four overs. The team needs his exploits in the middle overs which has been their strength over the last few months.

Usman Khan is a talented bowler but should keep his ego aside sometimes. If he gets it right, the left-arm seamer is the best on his day. But against India, he was at the other end of his performance and didn’t alter his line at all. he kept on hitting the same length and the batsmen plundered runs. An improved show with the ball is expected now.

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