Written by: Waseem Abbas
Posted on: August 23, 2023 | 
| 中文
Rashid Khan bowling, while Imam-ul-Haq is standing, during the first ODI
The three-match ODI series between Pakistan and Afghanistan kicked off in Hambantota, Sri Lanka, on the 22nd of August (yesterday). Pakistan won the first game of the series by 142 runs, thanks to a gutsy fifty by Imam-ul-Haq and a fiery five-wicket haul by Haris Rauf. The next two matches of the series are scheduled in the same venue on 24th and 26th of August before the Asian Cricket Festival begins on 30th of August. With the biggest event of the cricketing calendar, the ODI World Cup, just two months away, the Afghanistan Series and the subsequent Asia Cup 2023 have gained much more importance than expected.
Haris Rauf picked his maiden five wicket haul in the first ODI against Afghanistan
Pakistan has announced its squad for both events, with some surprise selections and a few unexpected omissions, giving indications of Pakistan's strategy going forward to the megaevent. Saud Shakeel has earned an ODI call-up after an impressive run with the Test side for the series against Afghanistan, with the chief selector Inzamam Ul Haq hinting at selecting him for the Asia Cup as well, if the situation demands. With a proven record in First Class and List A cricket, Saud could be a good prospect for Pakistan at number 4 in the World Cup, who can handle pressure in case of early setbacks. If Saud is given an opportunity against Afghanistan, I am sure he will seal his spot. Pakistan's other addition to the batting lineup is the 30-years old Tayyab Tahir, who hammered India in the recently concluded Emerging Asia Cup (EAC) 2023 during his blistering hundred. Tayyab's ability to play spin masterfully came to the fore in the EAC, and he will be looking for opportunities in the Afghanistan Series and the Asia Cup, to claim a spot in the World Cup. Seasoned Haris Suhail and Shan Masood have been dropped to pave the way for the emerging Tayyab and Saud. Although, Shan had been appointed vice-captain of the team for the New Zealand series at the start of the year. Meanwhile, in a surprise call, Inzamam has named all-rounder Faheem Ashraf to the squad, who has so far failed to live up to expectations, and has a mediocre record in his 31 ODIs-long career. Fast bowler Ehsanullah has been replaced by Faheem.
Faheem Ashraf batting against India in 2018 Asia Cup
Pakistan's batting looks settled after a long time, with the arrival of Agha Salman and Iftikhar Ahmed. Imam, Fakhar, Babar and Rizwan will be occupying the first four positions, and all are well settled in this format. With Shadab and Nawaz slotted in the lower order, Pakistan has a deep batting order, which can make Pakistan aggressive in their approach. The selection of young wicket-keeper and batter Muhammad Haris, means Sarfraz Ahmed is virtually out of the World Cup race, as the young player gets the edge over the veteran due to his power-hitting abilities. Young Abdullah Shafiq gets selectors' approval over the senior pro Shan Masood for both tournaments, which is intriguing given that Abdullah has no List A experience to show, while Shan boasts a remarkable List A record.
Shadab Khan plays a slog sweep against Afghanistan
Pakistan bowling unit is the same as expected, with the likes of Shaheen, Naseem, Haris Rauf, Wasim Junior, Shadab, Nawaz and Usama Mir getting selectors' approval for both tournaments. Media campaigns and strong voices for Imad Wasim's inclusion in the ODI setup could not move the selectors led by Inzimam. Wasim is a good player in the T20 franchise circuit, but his wicket-taking ability in the ODIs is not as good, which rightfully prompted selectors to go with Nawaz and Usama Mir. Nawaz has taken 37 wickets in 28 ODI matches with an average of 30.94, while Imad has 44 wickets in 55 games at an average of 44.37
Muhammad Nawaz after taking a wicket against Bangladesh in 2021
The spinning tracks of Sri Lanka, where the series is scheduled, will test Pakistani batters' ability to tackle spin. It will give an idea of where Pakistan stands in the preparations for the megaevent. Afghanistan has probably the best spin combination in the world at the moment, as the likes of Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rehman, Muhammad Nabi and Noor Ahmad can challenge any batting lineup on a given day. Their batting has improved over the last couple of years, which previously was an area of concern for them. Rehman Ullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran at the top, Rehmat Shah and Hashmat Ullah Shahidi in the middle, and Muhammad Nabi, Najeebullah Zadran and Rashid Khan doing the pinch-hitting down the order, makes Afghanistan a formidable side. While the area of concern for Afghanistan after vast improvement in other aspects of the game is still their fast-bowling unit, which does not look threatening at all. Fazal Haq Farooqi and Azmat Ullah Omarzai, along with a couple of newcomers will be responsible for fast bowling responsibilities.
Team Afghanistan
With no cricket scheduled after the Afghanistan Series and the Asia Cup, the final fifteen players going to India for the World Cup will probably be from those 18 selected for the Afghanistan Series and the Asian cricketing festival. However, there is a slight possibility that players like Haris Suhail, Imad Wasim, Shan Masood and Sarfraz Ahmed claim their spots back if their direct competitors fail miserably in the Afghanistan Series and the subsequent Asia Cup.
Although Afghanistan has never beaten Pakistan in ODI cricket (total 5 matches), but the contests have always been competitive and tougher than what this fact would suggest. Fueled by political and geopolitical squabbles, the Pakistan-Afghanistan matches are surrounded by controversies and on-ground fights, which came to the fore during the Asia Cup 2022 when Pakistan’s Asif Ali and Naseem Shah had a brawl with the Afghan players. With this series being the precursor of the two highly anticipated global events, the Asia Cup and the ODI World Cup, it is hoped that this series will be without any controversy and all the focus will be on the preparations for the megaevents.
Afghanistan's Fareed Ahmad after getting Pakistan’s Asif Ali out in 2022 Asia Cup
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