The fourth match of the Super Four stage in the ongoing Asia Cup is slated to be played between Afghanistan and Pakistan on Wednesday at Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
Pakistan have made a sensational start to the Super Four round after beating India by 5 wickets. Another win on Wednesday could help them reach the final. Afghanistan, on the other hand, have to win this game if they are to remain in contention for reaching the final.
Heading into an important encounter, here’s a look at how both the teams shape up:
Pakistan:
Pakistan are coming off a morale-boosting 5-wicket win over India and they would be brimming with confidence. Despite conceding 181 runs, Pakistan managed to chase down the score and win the game.
The batting unit hasn’t disappointed in the tournament. Bowling though is a concern, largely due to the absence of Shaheen Afridi and Dahani. Babar Azam is yet to score runs in the tournament but you could see him playing a big knock on Wednesday.
Players to watch out for:
M Rizwan, Babar Azam, M Hasnain and Naseem Shah
Predicted Playing XI:
Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Babar Azam (c), Fakhar Zaman, Khushdil Shah, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Asif Ali, Mohammad Nawaz, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah
Afghanistan:
After making a sensational start in the first round, Afghanistan suffered their first defeat of the tournament against Sri Lanka in the Super Four encounter. Given how they have performed as a unit in the tournament, one shouldn’t get surprised if they bounce back strongly and beat Pakistan.
For them to win the next game, the openers ought to give them a strong start. Gurbaz is in stellar form and he will be the man to watch out for. On Sharjah track, you also expect the spinners to play a big role with the ball.
Players to watch out for:
R Gurbaz, Rashid Khan, Najibullah
Predicted Playing XI:
Hazratullah Zazai, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Mohammad Nabi (c), Najibullah Zadran, Karim Janat, Samiullah Shinwari, Rashid Khan, Naveen-ul-Haq, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi
Pitch Report:
The match will be played at Sharjah Cricket Ground. The matches played here have been high-scoring encounters so far but spinners have also got assistance from the surface. The uneven bounce should help them fetch wickets. Both teams should look to bowl first upon winning the toss.
Match Details:
Asia Cup 2022, Match 4, Super Four, Pakistan vs Afghanistan
Date & Time – Wednesday, 7th September 2022, 7:30 PM(IST)
Venue – Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah
Live Broadcast and Streaming – The game can be watched live on the Star Sports Network while the live streaming will be available on Hotstar.
