CWC 2019: BAN vs AFG Preview – Confident Bangladesh face resurgent Afghanistan
Two days ago, this encounter would have been brushed aside as a one-sided game. But the manner in which Afghanistan fought against India has cleared all such doubts. Bangladesh has defeated South Africa and West Indies but they cannot take this Afghan unit lightly. These two Asian teams will be battling at The Rose Bowl, Southampton.
Afghanistan almost pulled off one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history against India at this venue on Saturday (22nd June). After receiving a beating from England, the Afghan lads emerged stronger versus the mighty Indian side. The spinners were spectacular and they kept the opposition under check. If they can repeat the performance against Bangladesh, it will be an enthralling game to watch.
Under Mashrafe Mortaza’s leadership, the Bangla tigers have been a force to reckon in this World Cup. They downed South Africa and West Indies and fought hard against Australia and New Zealand. Looking at their current form, they will be starting favourites versus Afghanistan. Shakib Al Hasan has been the star performer for the side with likes of Mushfiqur, Mahmudullah and Mustafizur standing tall alongside him.
Match Info
Bangladesh vs Afghanistan, 31st Match
The Rose Bowl, Southampton (03:00 PM IST)
There are chances of scattered showers as per the weather forecast.
Head-to-Head
Despite being a young entrant, Afghanistan has challenged Bangladesh regularly. Although Bangladesh defeated them fair and square in the 2015 World Cup, Afghanistan has beaten them thrice in seven ODI encounters. In the Asia Cup, Afghans and Bangladeshis tied at 1-1 in head-to-head games.
Team News
Bangladesh
In the last match against Australia, the green team made two changes. Mosaddek Hossain and Mohammad Saifuddin were injured and Sabbir Rehman and Rubel Hossain replaced them. Bangladesh is likely to bring back both the players if fit. Off-spinner Mehidy Hasan suffered a minor injury in the training session but the reports suggest that he should be fit in time for this encounter.
Afghanistan
After the stirring performance against India, it won’t be a surprise if Afghanistan indeed decides to continue with the same playing XI. Gulbadin Naib at the top spot has batted with confidence. With Mujeeb Ur Rehman back in the side, the bowling unit also looks well set in the current combination.
Key Players
Shakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh): World’s number one all-rounder is owning this World Cup. He has already scored two hundreds and two fifties in the competition. He is also the highest wicket-taker for Bangladesh against Afghanistan in ODIs. The left-arm spinner has 13 wickets from six matches with his best bowling figures being 4/42.
Hasmatullah Shahidi (Afghanistan): Afghanistan middle-order is yet to give a solid performance in the World Cup. Against India, the batting unit had the perfect opportunity to show their calibre but they missed out. Shahidi is one of the key batsmen in the middle-order. He has previously scored 215 runs from five innings against Bangladesh.
Probable XI
Bangladesh: S Sarkar, T Iqbal, Shakib Al Hasan, M Rahim, L Das, Mahmadullah, Mosaddek Hossain, Mehidy Hasan, R Hossain/M Saifuddin, M Mortaza, M Rahman
Afghanistan: H Zazai, G Naib, R Shah, H Shahidi, A Afghan, M Nabi, Najibullah Zadran, R Khan, Ikram Ali Khil, A Alam, Mujeeb Ur Rahman
