Afghanistan play Pakistan in the Super 4 of the Asia Cup 2022 on Wednesday, September 7, 2022, at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium in Sharjah from 7:30 PM Indian Standard Time (IST).
Afghanistan’s four-wicket loss against Sri Lanka in the last Super 4 match was their first defeat of the tournament. Despite Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s valiant effort with the bat, the Afghan bowlers failed to restrict the Sri Lankan batters as the island nation chased down the target of 176 with five balls to spare. It was the fifth T20I defeat for the Afghanistan cricket team in 2022. However, they triumphed over Sri Lanka and Bangladesh earlier in the tournament.
The Pakistan cricket team sealed back-to-back victories in the Asia Cup 2022 after their thrilling five-wicket win over India in the last Super 4 match. Mohammad Rizwan and Mohammad Nawaz have been the standout players for them in this tournament. The Men in Green have now won 22 of the 30 completed T20Is since 2021. Shahnawaz Dahani is reportedly unavailable for this match as Pakistan are expected to field the same playing XI against Afghanistan.
Afghanistan vs Pakistan Asia Cup 2022 Super 4 odds
Parimatch odds: Afghanistan: 2.44, Pakistan: 1.53
Betwinner odds: Afghanistan: 2.58, Pakistan: 1.50
10CRIC odds: Afghanistan: 2.46, Pakistan: 1.53
Betway odds: Afghanistan: 2.40, Pakistan: 1.53
Note: Odds are subject to change. Please visit betting sites to check and confirm the latest odds.
Afghanistan vs Pakistan head-to-head in T20Is
Pakistan have beaten Afghanistan in both previous T20Is played between the two teams. The Men in Green won by six wickets in a last-over thriller in December 2013, while Asif Ali’s blitzkrieg in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 gave them a five-wicket victory.
The Pakistan cricket team are also unbeaten against the Afghan side in the ODI format, winning all four matches.
Afghanistan vs Pakistan Asia Cup 2022 squads
Afghanistan: Mohammad Nabi (captain), Najibullah Zadran, Afsar Zazai (wicketkeeper), Azmatullah Omarzai, Fareed Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Hazratullah Zazai, Ibrahim Zadran, Karim Janat, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Naveen-ul-Haq, Noor Ahmad, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wicketkeeper), Rashid Khan, Samiullah Shinwari.
Pakistan: Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan, Asif Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Haider Ali, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Wasim, Naseem Shah, Shahnawaz Dahani, Usman Qadir, Hasan Ali.
Afghanistan vs Pakistan probable playing XI
Afghanistan: Hazratullah Zazai, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wicketkeeper), Hashmatullah Shahidi, Ibrahim Zadran, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi (captain), Rashid Khan, Azmatullah Omarzai, Naveen-Ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Mujeeb Ur Rahman.
Pakistan: Babar Azam (captain), Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Fakhar Zaman, Asif Ali, Mohammad Nawaz, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Usman Qadir, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Hasnain.
Afghanistan vs Pakistan Asia Cup 2022 Super 4 combined fantasy XI
Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Mohammad Rizwan (captain and wicketkeeper), Fakhar Zaman, Asif Ali, Mohammad Nawaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Shadab Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Rashid Khan, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Hasnain.
Afghanistan top picks vs Pakistan Asia Cup 2022 Super 4
Rahmanullah Gurbaz: The Afghanistan wicketkeeper batter smashed 84 runs off 45 balls in the last Super 4 match against Sri Lanka. Gurbaz has been in fine form this year, scoring 280 runs in 12 T20Is with a strike-rate of 136.58. His aggressive batting style can help Afghanistan counter Pakistan’s pacers in the powerplay.
Mujeeb Ur Rahman: He has been Afghanistan’s trump card in the powerplay with the ball and is currently the joint-highest wicket-taker at the Asia Cup 2022 with seven wickets while giving away only 5.83 runs per over. Mujeeb’s spell of 1/14 in four overs in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 against Pakistan was one of the standout performances that day.
Pakistan top picks vs Afghanistan Asia Cup 2022 Super 4
Mohammad Nawaz: The 28-year-old all-rounder took India by storm in Pakistan’s last Super 4 match. Nawaz bowled a brilliant spell of 1/25 in four overs, followed by a 42-run knock of only 20 balls to seal the victory for the Men in Green. He has also taken seven wickets in the Asia Cup 2022.
Mohammad Rizwan: Pakistan’s wicketkeeper batter has scored 192 runs in three matches at the Asia Cup 2022, making him the current highest run-scorer in this tournament. Rizwan has scored the most runs by a batter in T20Is since January 2021, amassing 1541 runs in 33 matches including one century and 14 half-centuries. The 30-year-old will once again be the premier batter for Pakistan.
Afghanistan vs Pakistan Asia Cup 2022 Super 4 prediction
Afghanistan are winless against Pakistan in both T20Is and ODIs. They also suffered a narrow defeat in their last Super 4 match but they have top-quality T20 players in their team to turn things around. The Afghan side are expected to challenge Pakistan in this encounter.
On the other hand, Pakistan had a morale-boosting win in their previous Super 4 match and their batting has flourished over the last two games. The Men in Green beat Afghanistan in this format last year and are tipped to once again get the better of their opponents.
Afghanistan vs Pakistan Asia Cup 2022 Super 4 playing conditions and weather report
Maximum Temperature: 40°C
Precipitation: 1%
Humidity: 27%
Wind: 20 km/h
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