Pakistan vs Afghanistan, World Cup 2023 Match 22: PAK vs AFG

pakistan vs afghanistan toss prediction

Pakistan vs Afghanistan, World Cup 2023

In a previous match in Bengaluru, Pakistan chose to play Usama Mir instead of Shadab Khan, but it didn't work out well. Usama Mir gave away a lot of runs and missed a chance to dismiss David Warner, which turned the game around. He also didn't perform well with the bat and got out without scoring. It seems unlikely that Pakistan will rest either Haris Rauf or Hasan Ali to give Mohammed Wasim Jr a chance to play.

As for Afghanistan, they might be tempted to include Noor Ahmad in the team, but this decision could make it difficult to balance the playing eleven. Afghanistan needs their batsmen to perform well and support their spin bowlers, who have been in good form and can put pressure on the Pakistani batting lineup.

The format of the tournament allows teams to recover from early losses, but both teams would prefer not to fall behind in the competition as the league phase progresses.

Regarding the match itself, the pitch being used today is the same one that was used in the India-Australia game, the opening match at this venue. This pitch is expected to favor spin bowlers, but it's not a bad pitch for batting either, as shown by players like Kohli, KL Rahul, Steve Smith, and Marnus Labuschagne in a previous match. The toss may not be as crucial in this venue, but both teams would likely want to bat first and set a competitive total on the board.

Babar Azam's team, Pakistan, is trying to win again after losing their last two matches. They will play against Afghanistan in Chennai on Monday. Pakistan is in the fifth position on the points table, and Afghanistan is in the last position because they have only won one out of their four matches.

Even though Pakistan seems like the stronger team on paper, they might face challenges on the field because the Chepauk cricket pitch is known for helping spin bowlers. Considering this, and Afghanistan's strong spin bowlers like Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, and Mohammad Nabi, it will be a tough test for Babar Azam's team when they play at Chepauk.

Afghanistan is feeling confident because they surprised everyone by beating the champion team, England, in an earlier tournament match.

As both teams get ready to play against each other, let's look at some important numbers and facts before the game.

Match Start Time - 

When: Monday, October 23, 2023, 2:00 PM IST

Where: Pakistan vs Afghanistan, Match 22, MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai

HEAD-TO-HEAD RECORD OVERALL:

In previous one-day international matches, Pakistan has always won against Afghanistan. They have played seven times, and Pakistan has won every time.

HEAD-TO-HEAD RECORD WORLD CUP:

The two teams faced each other once before in a major tournament, which was in the previous edition held in England. During that match, both teams played a close and low-scoring game, and Pakistan managed to win by just three wickets.

LAST 5 MEETINGS:

Pakistan has won the last five matches between the two teams, with the most recent one being a three-match ODI series in Sri Lanka that took place before the Asia Cup.

Did you know?

Pakistan has played only two one-day international matches in Chennai, and both were against India. Pakistan won both times, once in 1997 and then in 2012.

Pakistan has won all seven one-day international matches they've played against Afghanistan.

The Pakistani spin bowlers haven't performed very well in this year's World Cup, with an average of 78.50 and taking a wicket every 75.5 balls on average.

Shaheen Afridi has taken two wickets in each of the five one-day internationals he has played against Afghanistan. He's also the leading wicket-taker in the late stages of one-day matches this year, with 17 wickets in the death overs.