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Zimbabwe
Afghanistan
Zimbabwe will take on Afghanistan in the 1st ODI of the Afghanistan tour of Zimbabwe at Harare Sports Club. Both teams will look to make a strong start to the series, with Zimbabwe fielding a similar squad that recently competed against Pakistan and Afghanistan bringing momentum from their success against South Africa and Bangladesh.
Afghanistan have a strong record in recent head-to-head encounters, winning 4 out of their last 5 meetings. Zimbabwe's last victory against Afghanistan came in 2018. The two teams clashed three times in 2022, with Afghanistan securing wins in all 3 matches. This gives Afghanistan a psychological edge heading into this match.
In their last 5 ODI matches, Zimbabwe have struggled with just 1 win and 4 losses, while Afghanistan have been more consistent, registering 3 wins and 2 losses. Zimbabwe will rely on home conditions, but Afghanistanโs superior recent form could play a role in the outcome.
Afghanistan has multiple wicket-takers like Rashid, Nabi, and Farooqi, while Zimbabwe relies heavily on Muzarabani with little support from others.
The betting tip is...
Top Bowler Team - Afghanistan
58 %
42 %
ZimbabweAfghanistanCraig Ervine will lead Zimbabwe as the captain for this ODI series. He has scored 157 runs in the last 6 ODIs. Senior players like Sikandar Raza, Sean Williams, and Wellington Masakadza will be key contributors with both bat and ball. Joylord Gumbie has scored 189 runs in 9 matches and will continue in his wicket-keeping role. Sikandar Raza having scored 171 runs in 10 matches will look to better his tally.
On the bowling front, Richard Ngarava has been consistent with 12 wickets in 8 matches at an economy of 4.85.
Blessing Muzarabani has taken 9 wickets in 9 matches. Newman Nyamhuri, the highest wicket-taker at the U-19 World Cup, and Ben Curran have received their first-ever call-up to the Zimbabwe national side.
Ervine, Gumbie and Raza are the key players in the team.
Predicted Lineup: Craig Ervine (c), Brian Bennett, Ben Curran, Joylord Gumbie, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Sean Williams, Sikandar Raza, Wellington Masakadza, Richard Ngarava, Blessing Muzarabani, and Victor Nyauchi.
Hashmatullah Shahidi will lead Afghanistan in this series. Rahmanullah Gurbaz has scored 530 runs in 10 matches at an average of 53. His role will be to provide strong starts. Azmatullah Omarzai, who has 263 runs in 10 matches at a strike rate of 99.24, will strengthen the middle order.
Rashid Khan has 12 wickets in 5 matches at an economy of 3.27. He will be the main player in the bowling department. Allah Ghazanfar, with 12 wickets in 8 matches, will add depth to the spin attack. Mujeeb Ur Rahman returns to the squad, adding variety to the bowling unit.
Experienced players like Rahmat Shah, Mohammad Nabi, and Gulbadin Naib will bring stability to the team. Young top-order batters Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, and Abdul Malik will aim for playing time.
Gurbaz, Rahmat and Shahidi are the key batters in the team.
Predicted Lineup: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi.
Afghanistanโs bowlers have been their biggest strength in recent matches against Zimbabwe. Rashid Khan has taken 13 wickets in the last 5 games, while Mohammad Nabi and Mujeeb Ur Rahman have added 11 and 5 wickets, respectively. Fazalhaq Farooqiโs pace has also been effective, with 6 wickets in 3 matches.
Zimbabwe will depend on Blessing Muzarabani, who has picked up 13 wickets in the last 5 games. However, other bowlers like Sikandar Raza and Tendai Chatara have struggled to match his impact.
Afghanistanโs bowling attack looks stronger overall and has dominated Zimbabwe in their recent meetings. Their bowling unit gives Afghanistan a clear edge in this match.
