ICC World Cup 2019 – Match 7: AFG vs SL – Afghanistan Predicted Playing XI

Here is the Predicted Playing XI for Afghanistan:

Openers (Mohammad Shahzad (wk), Hazratullah Zazai)

It was a terrible start to the World Cup 2019 for both Mohammad Shahzad and Hazratullah Zazai. The least you would expect at the start of such a tournament is both your opening bagging ducks. However, this bad performance could motivate them to make up in the next game and play well.

Hazratullah Zazai is naturally aggressive with his approach. But it is important for him to be choosy with his shots. He can make up for the dot balls as he is capable of getting the big shots out at will. If Mohammad Shahzad and he can lay the platform with a good, aggressive start, Afghanistan can build from there on and get into a commanding position.

Middle Order (Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi)

Rahmat Shah has been one of the most consistent performers for Afghanistan. In the last five innings that he played, he scored 239 runs at an average of 48. However, he needs to focus on strike rotation so that his strike rates are improved. There can’t be too many balls consumed during the middle overs which puts the lower order in pressure later on.

Hashmatullah Shahidi is another important member in the Afghanistan middle order. In the game against Australia, he scored 18 runs off 34 balls and hit three fours in his innings. But, since he consumed too many deliveries, there was pressure on him to score some quick runs and thus tried to dance down the track. However, he couldn’t make contact with the ball and was stumped out. Just like Shah, even Shahidi should look to rotate the strike more often.

All Rounders (Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib (c), Najibullah Zadran, Rashid Khan)

Mohammad Nabi has had tough times in the last few games that he played. There is a scope of improvement both with his batting as well as bowling. Being the senior-most member of this team, he should take the onus with the willow and consistently get big runs. With the opposition having quite a few left-handers, his role with the ball will also be important.

Gulbadin Naib and Najibullah Zadran played exemplary knocks in the last game. The other players have got to take a cue out of their book and try to replicate similar efforts. Rashid Khan also played a valuable cameo down the order helping his team get past 200 runs. However, Naib and Rashid struggled a little bit with the ball and were slightly expensive. They should look to bowl tighter lines and lengths.

Bowlers (Dawlat Zadran, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Hamid Hassan)

Dawlat Zadran will hold onto his spot in the eleven. It is tough to judge only considering his performance in the last game where he conceded 32 runs off 5 overs. He is likely to be given another opportunity. Hamid Hassan was excellent against Australia. He bowled a good pace and hit great areas.

In six overs, he conceded only 15 runs and bowled two maidens while most of the other bowlers were quite expensive. Mujeeb Ur Rahman, on the other hand, disappointed a little bit. He was very expensive and gave away 45 runs in just 4.5 overs. While there is a possibility that he might get another chance, the possibility of him being replaced with Aftab Alam can’t be ruled out.