Afghanistan vs The Netherlands: Who will win the 1st ODI?
Afghanistan and The Netherlands are set to lock horns in the first game of the three-match ODI series on Friday, January 21. The match will take place at the West End Park International Cricket Stadium in Doha.
Earlier, veteran all-rounder Mohammad Nabi ruled himself out of the series in a bid to give young Afghan players opportunities to show their mettle at the highest level. Hashmatullah Shahidi has been named as the skipper for the white-ball matches.
The Afghans have picked four uncapped players, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Shahidullah Kamal, Mohammad Saleem Safi and Riaz Hasan in their squad. Fast bowler Naveen-ul-Haq also took an indefinite break from ODIs to focus more on the T20 format.
Naveen is set to play for the Khulna Tigers in the 2022 edition of the Bangabandhu Bangladesh Premier League. Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman have been key aspects of their bowling department and the Afghans will be heavily dependent on the duo.
Qais Ahmad performed exceptionally well in the 2021-22 edition of the Big Bash League and he'll be looking to carry the momentum into the T20 format. Rahmanullah Gurbaz is one of their most promising top-order batters and the focus will be on him as well.
Rahmat Shah and Najibullah Zadran have been key elements of their batting unit, although they are batters of completely different characteristics. Gulbadin Naib has seen the ups and downs of Afghan cricket and he'll be keen to bring all his experience to the fore.
The Netherlands, led by Pieter Seelaar, on the other hand, have some quality players in their ranks as well. The skipper has a significant amount of experience while playing at the highest level. The onus will be on him to step up with both bat and ball.
Their recent ODI series in South Africa had to be called off due to the emergence of the Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus. Prior to that, the Dutch team returned winless since the T20 World Cup that took place in October-November in Oman and the UAE.
Can The Netherlands beat Afghanistan?
The Netherlands have a bunch of talented cricketers, but Afghanistan have experience in their side. The Afghans will go into the match as the favorites and it will need a Herculean effort from The Netherlands to secure victory on Friday. It will be interesting to see how the Dutch batters tackle the Afghan spinners.
Prediction: Afghanistan to win the match.