Picking a combined West Indies-Afghanistan playing 11 for T20 World Cup 2024 ft. Alzarri Joseph, Rahmanullah Gurbaz
Co-hosts West Indies will take on Afghanistan in match number 40 of the ICC Men's 2024 T20 World Cup at the Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium in Gros Islet, St Lucia on Monday, June 17. The Group C match will start at 6:00 AM IST (June 18) and 8:30 PM local time (June 17).
The West Indies vs Afghanistan clash will be the last group game for both teams in the 2024 T20 World Cup. Both sides are undefeated in the tournament so far and have qualified for the Super 8 stage. While Afghanistan are on top in Group C, with six points and a net run rate of +4.230, the Windies are second with six points and a net run rate of +2.596.
West Indies will go into Monday's match having registered wins over Papua New Guinea (by 5 wickets), Uganda (by 134 runs) and New Zealand (by 13 runs). On the other hand, Afghanistan began their World Cup campaign with a 125-run hammering of Uganda. They then beat New Zealand by 84 runs and Papua New Guinea by seven wickets.
Ahead of the West Indies vs Afghanistan match, which will decide who tops Group C, we pick a combined playing 11 of the two sides for the 2024 T20 World Cup.
Openers: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran
The Afghanistan duo of Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran would be the openers in the combined West Indies-Afghanistan playing XI for the 2024 T20 World Cup. The duo featured in 100-plus opening stands in the team's first two group matches.
Keeper-batter Gurbaz has been in excellent form with the willow. He smashed 76 off 45 balls against Uganda, hitting four fours and as many sixes. Against New Zealand, Gurbaz contributed 80 off 56. The right-hander struck five fours and five sixes and was named Player of the Match for his impressive showing.
Ibrahim hammered 70 off 46 against Uganda, a knock which featured nine fours and a six as the openers added 154 in 14.3 overs. In Afghanistan's second match against the Kiwis, he contributed 44 off 41 balls. Ibrahim hit three fours and two sixes as the openers featured in a 103-run stand.
Middle-order & all-rounders: Gulbadin Naib, Sherfane Rutherford, Andre Russell, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan (c)
Afghanistan's experienced batter Gulbadin Naib would occupy the crucial No. 3 slot in the combined playing XI. While the 33-year-old fell cheaply in the first two matches, he contributed a crucial 49* off 36 balls in the win over Papua New Guinea. While Afghanistan were only chasing 96 for victory, they lost their in-form openers early after which Naib guided them home.
Sherfane Rutherford played a brilliant knock for West Indies in their match against New Zealand in Trinidad. Batting first, the Windies had crumbled to 58-6 in 11 overs. However, Rutherford hammered 68* off 39 balls, slamming two fours and six sixes to lift his side to 149-9, which proved to be a match-winning total.
Andre Russell, Mohammad Nabi and Rashid Khan would be the all-rounders in the combined West Indies-Afghanistan playing 11 for the 2024 T20 World Cup. All three are quality cricketers, who can win games with both bat and ball.
Russell has picked up four wickets so far and contributed 30* off 17 balls against Uganda. Former Afghanistan skipper Nabi impressed with 2-16 against New Zealand and contributed cameos against Uganda and PNG. Rashid, who would also captain the combined XI, picked up 2-12 against Uganda and followed it up with 4-17 against New Zealand.
Bowlers: Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Gudakesh Motie, Fazalhaq Farooqi
Both of West Indies' left-arm spinners, Akeal Hosein and Gudakesh Motie, feature in the combined playing XI, while Alzarri Joseph and Fazalhaq Farooqi would be the frontline pacers.
Hosein produced exceptional figures of 5-11 in the huge win over Uganda. As for Motie, the 29-year-old has five wickets in three games, which includes an excellent spell of 3-25 against New Zealand.
Seasoned right-arm pacer Joseph has claimed eight wickets in three games, which includes a brilliant performance of 4-19 against the Kiwis. Speaking of Afghanistan's left-arm pacer Farooqi, the 23-year-old has been exceptional. He began the World Cup with 5-9 against Uganda, followed it up with 4-17 against New Zealand and picked up 3-16 against Papua New Guinea