It’s come to that stage where teams are forging their alliance with whoever seems to help their chances of making it to the next level. For New Zealand, the equation is tough but for that equation to even be considered they want Afghanistan to lose both of their next matches. Hoping Afghanistan loses the one against PNG, with no offense intended to the Oceanian team, appears downright utopian.
Although you never get to have the final say when it comes to the shortest format of this crazy game, it’s more about Afghanistan’s sheer dominance this edition than PNG’s inexperience. The world had deemed Afghanistan one of the minnows, placed in the group to help ‘big’ teams improve their NRR. But the Rashid Khan-led team has been anything but that. Their openers, who had been suffering through a lean patch, have sprouted back to form at the time when it matters the most. Moreover, their bowling attack is lethal enough to hype even the smallest contributions the batters make. A chastening (just like the one New Zealand got) is on the cards for any team that is still thinking they can take Afghanistan as the weak-kneed team.
PNG have lost both of their games. Their contest against the West Indies was what they would rue more. The team played brilliant cricket against West Indies, had their bowlers not gone a little wayward in the last five overs, they might have clinched the game quite easily. In the game against Uganda too, they were meticulous but could not quite grab the opportunity. Their pacers on the slower side and spinners would hope to make merry at the Brian Lara Stadium to try to ruin Afghanistan’s record.
Team Overview:
What should one write about Afghanistan? Their campaign has been something dreams are made of. They have won two in two games and did so in such a convincing way that NRR is very unlikely to bother them by the end of this stage. Their victory against Uganda was almost certain and winning against New Zealand could be counted as just an upset. This way their campaign does not look as splendid but more than results, the way they have played is shifting the paradigm about them. The epochal thumping of New Zealand did not come as a miracle. Rashid Khan’s men scripted it themselves. Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran are washing every stain off of them by batting as if playing a video game. Despite the middle order not doing as well as the remaining team, the openers along with the bowlers conceal that Achilles’ heel. The Afghan spinners have always been show stealers but this time the pacers too stepped up pretty effectively. Fazalhaq Farooqi has hit a home run with the ball, bowling miserly lengths and exploiting the conditions to get as much swing as possible.
PNG has bowlers who can do what needs to be done. However, the batters could do well to revamp their strategy. Even on a sluggish surface like Tarouba’s, the batters would want to hold their ground against the lethal Afghanistan attack to put up a decent figure on the scoreboard. Sese Bau and Assad Vala hold their key to a decent batting innings.
Head-to-Head Matches:
PNG and Afghanistan have appeared against each other only once and it was during the qualifiers for T20 World Cup 2016 in Ireland. The Afghan team outdid PNG by 6 wickets.
Weather and Pitch report:
There is a good chance of rain on Friday in Tarouba but the game day will remain unaffected. The surface at the Brian Lara Cricket Stadium is slow and assists bowlers more. With rain visiting the area frequently lately, the ball came slower onto the bat in the recent game between West Indies and New Zealand. However, the pitch during this match is likely to be more dry so spinners will hold sway.
Prediction:
Afghanistan are the favourites to get it all in their kitty during the game on Tarouba’s dry pitch. With Mujeeb ur Rehman likely to sneak back into the playing XI, they will have a plethora of spin options.
Where to Watch:
You can watch the games on the following platforms as per your region:
- India – Star Sports
- Pakistan – PTV Sports, Ten Sports, Myco (Live streaming) and Tamasha app (Live streaming)
- USA and Canada – Willow TV
- England – Sky Sports Network
- Caribbean – ESPN Caribbean
- New Zealand & Australia – Sky Sports NZ, Prime Video
- Other regions – SuperSport, Sirasa, CricLife, STARZPLAY
