T20 World Cup 2021: Strongest Scotland Predicted Playing XI against Afghanistan

Scotland performed brilliantly in the first round of the T20 World Cup 2021. The team, led by Kyle Coetzer, won all three of their games and topped Group B. To start with, they beat Bangladesh by six runs in Al Amerat. Chris Greaves’ all-round show helped them script the historic win. Then they got past Papua New Guinea by 17 runs after their batters put a massive score on the board.

Their last game against Oman on October 21 was a must-win affair. But instead of succumbing to pressure, they won the match by eight wickets after chasing down 123 in 17 overs. However, the competition in the Super 12s is expected to be challenging. They will next face Afghanistan in Sharjah on Monday. In their six meetings in T20Is, the Afghan team has won every other time.

Here is Scotland’s predicted Playing XI for AFG vs SCO Match:

Openers- George Munsey, Kyle Coetzer

George Munsey and Kyle Coetzer should continue opening the batting for Scotland. Coetzer looked tad jittery in the first two matches, but he made a strong comeback against Oman. The Afghan bowlers are in decent form and the right-hander needs to blend caution with aggression to taste success.

Munsey, on the other hand, is an attacking batter, who prefers to take on the opposition bowling right from the outset. The southpaw scored 64 runs in the first three games and looked in decent rhythm. Both Coetzer and Munsey will be looking to take their team to a brisk start next time.

Middle-Order- Matthew Cross, Richie Berrington, Calum Macleod

Richie Berrington has arguably been the standout batter for Scotland in the tournament. The right-hander has scored 103 runs at an average of 51.50 and a strike rate of 137.33 with the highest score of 70. If Scotland have to do well against the Afghans, Berrington can’t afford to drop his guard.

Matthew Cross, on the other hand, has scored 82 runs at an average of 41. He bats at number three and his role will be prime importance. Calum Macleod hasn’t got a lot of chances to bat, but the fact that he’s a class act can’t be denied. All three of Macleod, Berrington and Cross need to deliver.

All-rounders- Michael Leask, Chris Greaves

Michael Leask is a handy all-rounder, albeit he hasn’t had much to do in the tournament. In three games, he has got a chance to bat in only two times. He has picked up two wickets until now in the event. Greaves, on the contrary, made an impact right away after he bagged the Player of the Match award against Bangladesh. The all-rounder has shown that he has the potential to perform well.

Bowlers- Mark Watt, Josh Davey, Safyaan Sharif, Bradley Wheal

Josh Davey has been excellent for Scotland in the bowling department. The fast bowler didn’t get a lot of wickets against Bangladesh, but he broke the backbone of the PNG batting unit. He is also the leading wicket-taker for Scotland with eight scalps at an excellent economy rate of 5.82.

Bradley Wheal picked up three wickets in the match against Bangladesh and showed that he’s capable to delivering in the big stage. Safyaan Sharif has also been a prolific wicket-taker for Scotland over the years. All four of Watt, Davey, Sharif and Wheal need to be at their best.