Afghanistan vs England: Because the Champions Trophy is short, there isn’t much room for mistake. Both Afghanistan and England have already lost one of their three league stage games, so this match is very important. This important game at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium will determine their chances of making it to the playoffs. If one side loses, the other side will have to count on other outcomes, making this a fierce fight for survival.
Afghanistan vs England: A Matchup with Past Events
The last time England and Afghanistan played, it was in the ODI World Cup. Afghanistan shocked everyone by beating England by 69 runs. Setting a strong sum and then depending on their strong spin attack worked really well for them. Afghanistan’s pitching was tough for England, with Rahmanullah Gurbaz leading the way. Given the subcontinental weather once more, Afghanistan vs. England could be an exciting match, as both teams are trying to get back on track after losing their first games.
The problems in England and Afghanistan’s first match
England’s tournament got off to a bad start when their 351-run score was easily beaten by their archrivals Australia. Even though the dew helped, England’s bad hitting and careless defence were the main reasons they lost. On Pakistan’s flat tracks, bowling performance is very important, and England didn’t do well enough against Australia’s strong batting order.
Afghanistan also had a rough start because their bowlers didn’t do well against South Africa. Their bowling approach worked best on a dry surface, but they had trouble with their lengths and changes. South Africa took advantage and set a tough goal of 315 runs. Afghanistan’s hitting lineup had trouble against Marco Jansen and his team, so they have a lot of work to do before their game against England. Conditions in Lahore, on the other hand, might be better, especially for racing, since dew is predicted.
What to Expect in Afghanistan vs England
When: February 26, 2:00 p.m. CST (2:30 p.m. IST In Lahore, at the Gaddafi Stadium
If the game between Australia and England was any indication, this one will also have a lot of goals. It’s been easy to hit the ball on the Lahore pitch, and teams that were chasing have won five of the last nine ODIs. The average score in the first innings is 297, and in recent games, scores of 300 or more have been successfully achieved. Dew could be very important, so leaders who win the toss should bowl first.
World Cup Team News for Afghanistan vs England
Afghanistan
Noor Ahmad had a tough game against South Africa, even though he made a small comeback near the end of his time. Because the event is short, Afghanistan may choose Mujeeb-ur-Rahman instead to improve their spin attack.
Possible XI: Ibrahim Zadran (wk), Rahmat Shah, Sediqullah Atal, Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Azmatullah Omarzai, Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb-ur-Rahman/Noor Ahmad, and Fazalhaq Farooqui.
England
Since Brydon Carse can’t play in the event, England has to decide who to pick. People like Gus Atkinson, Saqib Mahmood, and Jamie Overton could fill in. Overton might get the job over the others because he is good at many things.
Phil Salt, Ben Duckett, Jamie Smith (wk), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jos Buttler (wk), Liam Livingstone, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Jofra Archer, and Mark Wood are the likely XI.
Important Numbers Before Afghanistan Plays England
From 2023 to now, Rahmanullah Gurbaz has hit five hundreds in ODIs.
From 31 games in ICC ODIs, Jos Buttler’s average is only 25.82, which is a lot lower than his career average of 39.2.
Rashid Khan has taken 198 wickets in ODIs, with an average of 20.2. In ICC events, however, he has only taken 17 wickets, with an average of 50.76.
The Last Word on Afghanistan vs England
This match between Afghanistan vs England should be very exciting. England has a small advantage because of their better pace attack and wider range of batters, but Afghanistan is a tough opponent because they are good at spin and have experience playing in subcontinental weather. If dew comes into play, it could help the team that is following. But if Afghanistan scored enough runs, they could push England to their limits in this game that England needs to win. source-cricbuzz
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