Afghanistan Vs Ireland Who will win: Afghanistan and Ireland are all set to lock horns in the do-or-die match for both teams at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Friday.
Rain will be a big factor for the Friday clash, but we are expecting for a complete and continuous contest despite the weather forecast in Melbourne calling for some clouds and a probability of rain on the day of the match.
Rain disrupted both of Wednesday’s games, and it forced New Zealand vs. Afghanistan match to be called off before a ball was even played (no toss). Afghanistan’s first game was a loss against England, and the team is currently in last place in Super 12 Group 1 with just one point.
Ireland lost their first game to Sri Lanka but defeated England in their second contest. This significant hiccup was brought on by rain. Ireland’s bowlers and hitters performed admirably against England. Although they have to play against Ireland, New Zealand, Australia, and Afghanistan. And are required to win all of their remaining games in order to qualify for the semis.
What to expect from Afghanistan?
In their opening game against England, Afghanistan’s batting performance was subpar as they were bowled out for just 112 runs. Despite the extremely low total they had to defend, their bowlers were on the money and did a great job of keeping the English hitters under strain.
Their combined efforts, though, were insufficient, and the English side won the game by five wickets. The second game, which was scheduled to pit Mohammad Nabi’s squad against New Zealand, called off due to rain.
The path ahead is quite difficult for the Afghan’s side with just 1 point collected in 2 games, but this team is known for having a strong ability to bounce back, therefore we can see them back in the winner’s circle.
What to expect from Ireland?
Ireland’s opening encounter in the first round ended in a 31-run loss to Zimbabwe, but victories over Scotland by six wickets and the West Indies by nine wickets allowed them to advance to the Super 12 with relative ease.
They once again got off to a bad start in the Super 12, losing to Sri Lanka by nine wickets. However, in their most recent encounter, the Irish side astonished their neighbours by defeating them by a score of 5 runs in a game that was halted due to rain.
Riding high on confidence after claiming a big victory over England, the Andrew Balbirnie’s team will look to stay on the winning track when they face Afghanistan on Friday.
Pitch Report
If the batters able to survive the initial overs, then they can dominate the game at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, as it surface is known for providing a good balance between bat and ball. Spinners will not get that much of help at this pitch.
AFG Vs IRE Playing XIs
AFG XI
Batters: Hazratullah Zazai, Ibrahim Zadran, Usman Ghani, Najibullah Zadran
Wicketkeeper: Rahmanullah Gurbaz
All-rounders: Mohammad Nabi (c), Azmatullah Omarzai
Bowlers: Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fareed Ahmad Malik, Fazalhaq Farooqi
IRE XI
Batters: Paul Stirling, Andrew Balbirnie (c), Harry Tector
Wicketkeeper: PLorcan Tucker
All-rounders: Curtis Campher, George Dockrell, Gareth Delany
Bowlers: Mark Adair, Fionn Hand, Barry McCarthy, Joshua Little
AFG Vs IRE: Who will win?
Despite Ireland’s recent success against England, which undoubtedly gave the team more confidence. Nabi’s team is bit balanced compared to the Irish, giving them a stronger opportunity to win this match.
