Squads –
AFG –
Asghar Afghan (c), Rahmat Shah, Nawin-Ul-Haq, Hashmat Shahidi, Yamin Ahmadzai, Osman Ghani, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Sayed Ahmad Shirzad, Najib Zadran, Jawed Ahmadi, Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbuddin Naib, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Sharafuddin Ashraf
IRE –
Paul Stirling, Gareth Delany, Andrew Balbirnie(c), Harry Tector, Kevin O Brien, Lorcan Tucker(w), Curtis Campher, Simi Singh, Andy McBrine, Barry McCarthy, Craig Young, Mark Adair, Joshua Little, Neil Rock, James McCollum
Team News –
AFG –
– Afghanistan played international cricket after a span of 13 months and won their 1st series with one game to go.
– Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Javed Ahmadi will open for Afghanistan. Gurbaz the hard hitting opener smashed a run a ball 127 runs and scored 31 last game. Ahmadi looked Average in both the games.
– Rahmat Shah will bat 1 down. Rahmat is team’s most consistent and reliable batsman with an ODI Average of 36. He showed his class in last game scoring a 100.
– Hasmatullah Shahidi and Asghar Afghan will handle the middle order. Asghar and Shahidi generally plays slow but looked in completely different mood in the Shpageeza t20 . Shahidi scored 82 in his comeback game.
– Najibullah Zadran and Mohammad Nabi will bat next. Both are extremely attacking batsman and have played a lot of franchise Cricket. .
– Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Rahman and Mohammad Nabi will lead the spin attack. All 3 are world’s best bowlers.
– Naveen-ul-haq and Gulbadin Naib will be responsible for the pace bowling. Naveen-ul-haq will bowl in death overs and have already taken 7 Wickets in 2 games.
IRE –
– Ireland lost both the games here against Afghanistan, 1st by 16 runs and last by 7 Wickets.
– For Ireland Paul Stirling and Kevin O Brien will be opening. Stirling is teams most experienced guy who scored century last game. O’brien is not someone to introduce and will be crusial with both bat and bowl, however he failed in both games.
– Andrew Balbirnie will bat 1 down. Balbirnie is an important part of the Irish team and is very consistent in the white ball format.
– Harry Tector and Lorcan Tucker will bat at 2 and 3 down respectively. Tector has emerged as an attacking middle order Batsman for Ireland and had also bowled in domestic season recently. Tucker scored his highest score of 83 in last 2nd game.
– McBrine and Curtis Campher will bat next. Both are really good hitters of the ball and will also be important with the bowl as well.
– Simi Singh and McBrine will handle the spin section with Paul Stirling to assist. McBrine took a 5-for in 1st game of the series.
– Barry McCarthy , Craig Young and Curtis Campher will be the team’s pace attack.
Probable XI –
AFG
Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Javed Ahmadi, Rahmat Shah, Hasmatullah Shahidi, Asghar Afghan (c), Mohammad Nabi, Najibullah Zadran, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, Naveen ul Haq, Mujeeb ur Rahman
IRE –
Paul Stirling, Kevin O’brien, Andrew Balbirnie, Harry Tector, Lorkan Tucker(wk), Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, Simi Singh, Andrew McBrine, Barry McCarthy, Craig Young
Pitch Report –
Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
This pitch is a batting paradise, but it gets a little slow as the match progresses. The average 1st innings score at this ground is 249 runs
Team Blueprint –
WK –
R Gurbaz ( Open + wk, very attacking with SR of 140 in t20s, 127 runs last 2nd game on debut, Must have)
L Tucker( Middle order + wk, 292 runs in 14 ODIs, 83 runs last game, can avoid, don’t consider based on 1 game)
BAT –
Paul Stirling ( Open, very attacking + part time spin, 232 runs in t20 blast 2020, 131* against UAE 1st game, 128 last game, Must have )
Rahmat Shah ( 1 down, very consistent but poor recent form, 2400 ODI runs at an average of 36, 103 runs last game, good choice to have)
Andrew Balbirnie ( 1 down, very experienced, 2097 runs in 72 ODIs averaging just over 30, 53 in last 2nd game, Must have )
Asghar Afghan ( 3 down, team’s reliable batsman, never leave him in 2nd innings chase, 2400 ODI runs )
N Zadran( Middle order, LHB, very attacking, 1615 runs in ODI, SR of 140 in t20s however quite low around 90 in ODIs, 29 last 2nd game )
H Shahidi( 2 down, very reliable batsman from Afghanistan, 276 runs in 10 games against Ireland, 82 runs last game )
Usman Ghani( Open, very attacking batsman, 441 ODI runs, Just 10 runs in 3 games against Ireland)
Kevin O’brien( Open + Medium pace, not bowling much, 602 runs with an average of 31 in 24 innings against Afghanistan )
H Tector( 2 down, very attacking batsman, 48 runs + 1w in inter provisional t20 competition, 24 last game )
ALL –
Mohammad Nabi( 3 down + Off spin, very attacking batsman, 2799 runs + 131 Wickets for Afghanistan, 1w last game, Must have )
Curtis Campher ( Middle order + medium pacer, can swing the ball, 127 runs + 5 Wickets against England last series, 80 runs + 2 Wickets in UAE Series, 47 runs + 1w last game, Must have )
Mark Adair ( Right Arm fast, can also hit the ball big, 17 Wickets with bowling Average of just 6, didn’t played last game )
Gulbadin Naib ( Medium pacer + good batsman, 1041 runs + 60 ODI Wickets on his name, 1w last game, Must try)
G Delany ( Middle order + part time leg spin, very attacking, inexperienced in ODIs, 1w last game )
Simi Singh ( Off spin, 23 ODI Wickets with economy just under 5 50 + 5 Wickets against UAE game, 1w last game, Must have)
BOWL –
Rashid Khan ( Leg spinner, world’s best spinner, 50 massive Wickets in 8 games against Ireland, 55 runs + 2 Wickets 1st game, 1w last game, Must have)
Mujeeb Rahman ( Off mystery spin, 5-for in BBL recently, 18 Wickets in 11 games against Ireland, 3 Wickets last game)
Barry McCarthy ( Medium pacer, experienced, 58 ODI Wickets, 1 Wicket last game )
Naveen ul haq ( Medium fast, known for his variations, will bowl in death, 4 Wickets last game )
Craig Young( Fast Medium, got some good pace and swing, impressive stats with 34 Wickets in 17 games )
A McBrine( Off spin + decent batting, 7 Wickets in 36 overs against UAE, 5 Wickets last 2nd game, Must )
Joshua Little ( Left arm fast, young bowler, 10 Wickets in his short odi carrer of 5 games )
C/VC –
AFG –
Rashid Khan
Mohammad Nabi
Mujeeb Rahman
IRE –
Paul Stirling
Andrew Balbirnie
Curtis Campher