Afghanistan vs Pakistan: T20 World Cup 2021: Toss result and playing 11s, today's match umpires list and pitch report
Afghanistan and Pakistan will meet in match number 24 of the T20 World Cup 2021 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Friday.
Afghanistan were sensational in their match against Scotland, registering a thumping 160-run triumph. As for Pakistan, they have been one of the best teams on display in the tournament so far, getting the better of India and New Zealand.
Two factors would be key in the Super 12 clash on Friday. The first would be how Afghanistan's big-hitters tackle Pakistan's fiery pacers. The likes of Najibullah Zadran, Hazratullah Zazai and Rahmanullah Gurbaz were fearless and bold against Scotland's bowling attack. However, dealing with Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf would be a challenge on an altogether different level.
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The second crucial aspect would be the battle between Afghanistan's spinners and Pakistan's batters. Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Rashid Khan ran riot against Scotland. However, the contest against Babar Azam and co will be a lot stiffer.
AFG vs PAK - Today's match playing 11s
AFG Playing 11: Hazratullah Zazai, Mohammad Shahzad (w), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi (c), Asghar Afghan, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, Karim Janat, Naveen-ul-Haq, Mujeeb Ur Rahman.
PAK Playing 11: Mohammad Rizwan (w), Babar Azam (c), Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Asif Ali, Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Hasan Ali, Haris Rauf, Shaheen Afridi.
AFG vs PAK - Today's match opening batters list
Hazratullah Zazai and Mohammad Shahzad will open for Afghanistan. They scored 44 and 22 respectively against Scotland. The in-form duo of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan will begin proceedings for Pakistan with the bat.
AFG vs PAK - Today's match pitch report
The pitch in Dubai has had some swing for bowlers early on, after which it has been good to bat on. However, the dew factor has played a massive role in the second half. Nevertheless, Afghanistan won the toss and opted to take first strike.
AFG vs PAK - Today's T20 World Cup match umpires
On-field Umpires: Chris Brown, Joel Wilson.
Third Umpire: Langton Rusere.
Match Referee: David Boon.
AFG vs PAK T20 World Cup toss result for today's match
Afghanistan won the toss and, rather surprisingly, opted to bat first. They have made no changes to the team that beat Scotland. Explaining his decision to bat first, Afghanistan captain Mohammad Nabi said:
“We will bat first. It looks dry on the top, could be good for batting first, look to put a decent total on the board, and then defend it.”
Afghanistan have won the toss in Dubai and elected to bat first 🏏
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Pakistan captain Babar Azam confirmed that they are going in with an unchanged lineup. He also asserted that Pakistan won't be taking Afghanistan lightly, as they are a good side and have some world-class spinners.