At the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, Babar Azam’s Pakistan is all set to face off against a resurgent Afghanistan side. The game is scheduled to kick off at 2 p.m. local time. Afghanistan, despite their recent loss to New Zealand, is oozing with confidence following their impressive victory over defending champions England, securing a convincing 69-run win. In contrast, Pakistan finds itself in a challenging position after suffering back-to-back defeats at the hands of India and Australia. The team, led by Babar Azam, seems to be grappling with issues in both their batting and bowling departments.
Pakistan’s top-order, featuring star players like Babar Azam, Mohammed Rizwan, and Iftikhar Ahmed, has failed to meet the high expectations set for them. Even Babar Azam, the world’s top-ranked batsman, has had a somewhat underwhelming performance in this World Cup. To compound their challenges, Pakistan’s middle-order batsmen have struggled against spin bowling, as evidenced by their performances against India and Australia. On the other hand, Afghanistan boasts a formidable bowling lineup, particularly their spin trio comprising Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi, and Mujeeb Ur Rahman. They are well-poised to take advantage of the playing conditions at Chepauk. However, Afghanistan is well aware that a strong batting performance is crucial if they aspire to secure a spot in the semi-finals of the ICC World Cup 2023.
The Pakistan vs. Afghanistan cricket match will be broadcast live on Indian television via the Star Sports channels. Indian viewers can also access free live streaming of the matches through the Disney+Hotstar app and website. Additionally, social media giant Meta has joined forces with the International Cricket Council (ICC) to provide extensive coverage of the ICC World Cup 2023 across platforms like Instagram, WhatsApp, Facebook, and Threads. The match is set to kick off at 2 PM. The Afghanistan squad consists of the following players: Hashmatullah Shahidi (captain), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wicketkeeper), Ibrahim Zadran, Riaz Hassan, Rahmat Shah, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Ikram Alikhil (wicketkeeper), Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Abdul Rahman, and Naveen ul Haq.
Pakistan’s lineup includes Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Salman Ali Agha, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, and Mohammad Wasim. Google’s win probability indicates a 73% chance of Pakistan securing victory in this match and advancing to the fourth position. According to CricTracker, regardless of which team bats first, Pakistan is expected to emerge as the winner. MyKhel’s assessment suggests that Pakistan holds a slight advantage in the competition, although the match is anticipated to be closely contested. The prediction is that Pakistan will decisively win the match, making it a one-sided affair.
