Asia Cup 2023: Multan Cricket Stadium Preview – Pakistan vs Nepal, 1st Match, Group A

Multan Cricket Stadium. (Photo Source: Twitter)

Pakistan and Nepal will lock horns in the first match the Asia Cup 2023 at Multan Cricket Stadium in Multan on August 30.

Pakistan will be coming into the contest on the back of a solid clean sweep over Afghanistan in the recently concluded series in Sri Lanka. Imam-ul-Haq was the stand-out performer for Pakistan in the recently concluded series, as he has aggregated 165 runs in three matches at an average of 55, including two fifties while Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan aggregated 113 and 91 runs, respectively.

Shaheen Shah Afridi was among the wickets tally with six scalps in three games while Haris Rauf and Shadab Khan picked five and four wickets. Pakistan will look to continue their winning run.

Nepal, on the other hand, will be playing their first game in the history of Asia Cup. They have been brilliant in 2023 with 15 wins out of 20 games they played, their most of the losses came in the ICC World Cup Qualifiers against the highly seeded teams, eventually losing the spot in the mega event to be held in India next month.

Kushal Bhurtel has been impressive with the bat, scoring 544 runs in 19 games while Kushal Malla has aggregated 541 runs in 18 innings at an average of 33.81 in 2023. Sandeep Lamichhane leads the wicket chart in the bowling department, picking up 42 wickets in 19 games while Karan KC has picked up 30 wickets in 18 games.  

Multan Cricket Stadium Overview:

The pitch in the Multan Cricket Stadium is usually flat but offers lot of pace and assist a good bit of spin too. It is expected to be good for batting, as the average first innings score at the ground is 255. In 10 games played at the venue, pacers have performed well compared to spinners, picking 88 wickets at an impressive average of 32.51 while spin bowlers have picked 50 wickets averaging 32.54. Both teams batting first and second has won five games each at this venue.

Highest Batting and Bowling Averages at Multan Cricket Stadium:

Inzamam-ul-Haq has the highest average of 89 in the Multan Stadium with minimum of three matches played while Abdul Razzaq is next in the list with an average of 70.50 followed by Imam-ul-Haq in the next spot with 66.33.

Naved-ul-Hasan has the best bowling average (16.50) among the bowlers who have bowled in minimum three innings, followed by Mohammad Nawaz (19.50) at second spot and Shadab Khan (19.85) at third spot.

Highest Team Score in Multan Cricket Stadium

The highest total scored at this stadium is 323/5 by Pakistan against Bangladesh in 2003-04.

 

Best Bowling Figures in Multan Cricket Stadium in ODI

Mohammad Nawaz holds the record for best bowling performance in the Multan Cricket Stadium. He took 4/19  against West Indies in 2022 to help Pakistan win convincingly by 120 runs.

Notable Century Makers:

There have overall been six centuries recorded at this venue in ODI. The notable century scorers from the current Asia Cup squads are Babar Azam and Shakib Al Hasan. Shakib scored a century against Pakistan in 2008 which went in vain as the hosts thrashed Bangladesh by seven wickets, while Babar scored 103 against West Indies in 2022 to help them defeat the opposition by five wickets.

Impact of Toss on Results:

In 10 matches played at the venue, the toss has impacted well with teams winning the toss have 60% of matches won (6 out of 10) while teams losing the toss have won 40% of the matches (4 out of 10).

Spin vs Pace Success:

The pace bowlers at this venue have tasted more success better than the spinners. Out of 10 ODIs played at the venue, the pacers have picked 88 wickets at an average of 32.51 while the spinners have picked 50 wickets at an average of 32.54.

Close Encounters/Last Over Thrillers:

A encounter took place at the venue on June 8, 2022 between Pakistan and West Indies. Opting to bat first, West Indies posted a huge total of 305/8 led by Shai Hope’s magnificent 127 and a steady 70 from Shamarh Brooks. Haris Rauf picked up four wickets for 77 runs. Chasing 306, a captain’s knock of 103 from Babar Azam, gritty fifties from Imam-ul-Haq (65) and Mohammad Rizwan (59) followed by a scintillating finish from Khushdil Shah (41 off 23) saw them cross the finish line by five wickets with four balls to spare.