Ireland
Afghanistan
Ireland and Afghanistan will meet in the 4th ODI at Civil Service Cricket Club, Belfast, with Afghanistan leading the 5-match series 2-0. The first game was abandoned due to rain. Afghanistan have 2 wins and 3 losses from their last 5 ODIs, while Ireland have zero wins in their last 5 outings. Afghanistan have the advantage from their recent results in this series.
Paul Stirling will lead Ireland, while Rahmat Shah will captain Afghanistan. The visitors will also have Rashid Khan in their side after his match-winning performance helped Afghanistan seal a place at the 2027 ODI World Cup.
Afghanistan will look to continue their strong record against Ireland, having won 5 of their last 5 meetings, with the other 2 ending in draws. 3 of Afghanistan's 5 wins in those matches have come while defending totals, while 2 have come while chasing.
Rashid Khan has taken 9 wickets in his last 2 matches, including 6 in the second ODI and 3 in the third, making another strong bowling performance likely against an Ireland batting line-up that has struggled to score runs.
The betting tip is...
Rashid Khan - Over 2.5 wickets
61 %
39 %
IrelandAfghanistanIreland’s batting has been a concern in the series despite Lorcan Tucker and Harry Tector being key batters across formats, especially in T20Is, and equally effective in ODIs.
No Ireland batter had crossed 100 runs after 2 matches, with Cade Carmichael leading the scoring with 94 runs in two innings. Ben Calitz and Andy Balbirnie have just scored in the 40s.
In the bowling department, Gavin Hoey has taken 5 wickets in 2 games, while Mark Adair has taken 4. Adair has also taken 12 wickets in his last 7 ODIs. Ireland used 5 to 6 bowlers in both matches, but their batting and bowling departments will need to match Afghanistan’s level.
Balbirnie, Hoey and Adair are the key players in the team.
Predicted Lineup: Paul Stirling (c), Andy Balbirnie, Cade Carmichael, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker (wk), Curtis Campher, Ben Calitz, Mark Adair, Gavin Hoey, Jai Moondra and Byron McDonough
Rahmanullah Gurbaz has scored 103 runs in 2 matches, while Ibrahim Zadran has added 96 runs across 2 innings. Sediqullah Atal scored 72, and Hashmatullah Shahidi scored 58. The series has not produced a century yet, but Afghanistan has scored 2 of the 3 fifties recorded across the matches.
Rashid Khan had been the key difference-maker, taking 9 wickets in 2 games, including 6 in the second ODI and 3 in the third. He also scored 37 runs off 43 balls in the third ODI, winning the Player of the Match award. AM Ghazanfar and Azmatullah Omarzai have taken 3 wickets each.
Fazalhaq Farooqi has remained an important option with his left-arm pace. Overall, the Afghanistan side looks more balanced in both departments as compared to Ireland.
Gurbaz, Zadran and Rashid are the key players in the team.
Predicted Lineup: Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Sediqullah Atal, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Rahmat Shah (c), Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, AM Ghazanfar, Yamin Ahmadzai and Fazalhaq Farooqi
Afghanistan will enter the fourth ODI with an overall edge in both batting and bowling. Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran have provided consistent runs at the top, while Sediqullah Atal and Hashmatullah Shahidi have also contributed.
Their bowling attack has been even more effective, with Rashid Khan taking 9 wickets in the first two matches, including 6 in the second ODI and 3 in the third.
Ireland’s batting has struggled to produce a century or a 100-run individual score in the series, which could again leave them under pressure against Afghanistan’s spin attack. With Rashid taking wickets in both matches and Ireland’s middle order finding it difficult to handle him, Afghanistan should have the stronger bowling impact in Belfast.
