Hashmatullah Shahidi is focused on the present and the upcoming challenge. He emphasized this during his initial press conference of the World Cup when asked about the pressures of a major tournament and the team’s past struggles. “We’re different,” he reiterated, signaling a determination to redefine their performance.
Being ‘different’ is essential for Afghanistan, especially after their recent encounter with Rohit Sharma’s formidable batting three days ago and their encounter with the England juggernaut in Manchester four years ago when Eoin Morgan hit a record 17 sixes. Although Morgan is no longer in the lineup, England’s current squad, led by Jos Buttler, possesses similar destructive potential.
England, at the cusp of a take-off in this World Cup, will utilize the challenging Delhi venue, which currently boasts the worst bowling average at 51.32. Afghanistan displayed batting competence against India, but their bowlers must step up to the plate when facing England, who aim to secure not only two points but also boost their Net Run Rate. The outcome will determine whether Shahidi’s pre-tournament claims are realistic or aspirational.
Match Details:
- Date: October 13, 2023
- Time: 9:02 AM Local Time
- Location: Arun Jaitley Stadium, New Delhi
Weather Forecast: Expect a hot evening with temperatures reaching 34 degrees Celsius as the game begins. The match will be played on a pitch adjacent to the one where Afghanistan faced India on October 11. The pitch appears green, but as recent games have shown, it’s a nightmare for bowlers.
Team Updates:
England: Joe Root didn’t confirm Ben Stokes’s availability but mentioned that Stokes trained well on Friday. With a significant gap between games, England has the luxury to keep Stokes in reserve, work on his fitness, and potentially unleash him for the marquee game against South Africa on October 21. Chris Woakes’ availability may be uncertain, and David Willey could be a replacement if needed.
Tactics & Strategy for England: The venue provides England with an opportunity to amass a large number of runs. They are likely to attack more aggressively than in their previous game in Dharamsala, where they scored 364/9. England aims to improve on their performance from that match, where they managed only 66 runs in the last 10 overs, a relatively modest return given their high white-ball standards.
Probable England XI: Dawid Malan, Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root, Jos Buttler, Harry Brook/Ben Stokes, Liam Livingstone, Sam Curran, Chris Woakes/David Willey, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood, Reece Topley
Afghanistan: It’s unlikely for Afghanistan to make significant changes to their lineup. They need better performance from their existing bowlers rather than introducing new faces.
Tactics & Strategy for Afghanistan: Two days before the game, assistant coach Raees Ahmadzai worked on improving Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s confidence in the nets, focusing on his pull shots. Gurbaz, an opener, is crucial for a strong start against Reece Topley, as he has a good record against left-arm pacers. Ibrahim Zadran, Gurbaz’s opening partner, performs well against right-arm quicks.
Probable Afghanistan XI: Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Mujeeb-Ur-Rahman, Rashid Khan, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Naveen-ul-Haq
Interesting Facts:
- Since 2021, Dawid Malan averages 130.5 and strikes at 105.67 in the middle overs (11-40) in ODIs.
- Rahmat Shah has the highest run tally for Afghanistan in ODIs since the 2019 World Cup.
- Mohammad Nabi excels with both bat and ball in ODIs this year, averaging 21 with the bat and 39.7 with the ball.
- Jos Buttler has struggled in ODIs in India, with just 146 runs in 9 innings at an average of 16.22.
Quotes from the Teams: “I think for me, what I judge is our preparation. We’ve got to make sure that each game we’re going into, we believe that we can win. And I certainly believe that every game we go into from here on, we can win.” – Afghanistan head coach Jonathan Trott.
“I think we weren’t where we wanted to be in the first game. We were considerably better in the last game against Bangladesh and this is another opportunity for us to take another stride forward and keep building that momentum and that progression towards the business end of this tournament and making sure that we are where we need to be by the back end of it.” – Joe Root