After decimating Afghanistan in the first ODI, Pakistan will aim to seal the series in the second match on August 24. In the last match, the bowlers were phenomenal, especially Haris Rauf, who picked up a five-for and helped his team win the match by 142 runs. Ace pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi too was impactful, picking up two wickets in the middle.
When it comes to batting, Imam-ul-Haq gave them a good start while others around him failed to make a mark. In the middle overs, Iftikhar Ahmad and Shadab Khan took control of the situation, which helped the Men in Green post 201 runs on board in the first innings. Notably, Afghanistan spinners were sensational as Mujeeb Ur Rahman picked up three wickets while Mohammad Nabi and Rashid Khan picked up two wickets each.
Hence, bowling looks sorted but the same cannot be said about their batting. Nine of their players failed to score in double digits and that’s a massive concern ahead of the Asia Cup and the ODI World Cup.
AFG vs PAK Match Details:
Match: Afghanistan vs Pakistan, 2nd ODI Match
Venue: Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium, Hambantota
Date & Time: Thursday, August 24, 03:00 PM IST
Live Streaming Details: Eurosport and FanCode
AFG vs PAK Pitch Report:
The pitch in Hambantota is tailor-made for the bowlers to succeed. Batting first will be ideal and anything over 230 runs could be a winning score.
AFG vs PAK Head-to-head:
Matches – 5, Afghanistan – 0, Pakistan – 5
AFG vs PAK Probable Playing XI
Afghanistan (AFG):
Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Mohammad Nabi, Ikram Alikhil, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Abdul Rahman, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi
Pakistan (PAK):
Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Iftikhar Ahmed, Agha Salman, Shadab Khan, Usama Mir, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf
Probable Best Performers:
Probable Best Batter:
Babar Azam (Pakistan)
Pakistan skipper Babar Azam failed to open his tally in the last match and will be desperate to make a mark in the second ODI. He was in exceptional form in the recently concluded Lanka Premier League (LPL) and will be aiming to get back in the same zone in the second match of the series.
Probable Best Bowler-
Haris Rauf (Pakistan)
Ace pacer Haris Rauf rattled Afghanistan’s batting unit in the last match. He picked up five wickets and will be aiming to continue in the same fashion.
Today’s Match Prediction: Pakistan to win the match