🏏ICC Men's T20I WC 2022: Super 12 - Group 1 - AFG vs IRE - 28/10/22🏏

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Super 12 - Group 1

Afghanistan vs Ireland on 28/10/2022 at 9:30 AM IST at Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne

Afghanistan and Ireland set to renew old rivalry at Super 12s

After having battled each other for Associate supremacy throughout the 2010s, the sides come together for their first meeting in a T20 World Cup proper

On geographical terms, Afghanistan and Ireland are perhaps two of the most peculiar rivals across cricket, but the intensity of this rivalry was borne out of a battle for Associate supremacy throughout the 2010s before both sides were elevated to Test status in 2017. Whether locked in a virtual dead heat in that era, or joined at the hip in the time since then as the fresh faces of the Full-Member society, these two sides know each other better than most at this tournament.

Ireland and Afghanistan faced off in three consecutive tournament finals at the Men's T20 World Cup Qualifier in 2010, 2012 and 2013, of which the men in green won the latter two. Those are part of the 23 times these sides have met before in the format since their first encounter in 2010. Remarkably though, this will be the first time they face off in a T20 World Cup proper.

Barring those back-to-back wins in the finals of the qualifier, Afghanistan have dominated the rivalry, thanks in large part to Ireland's inability to negotiate Rashid Khan. But the tide shifted this past summer in Belfast when Ireland took a five-match series by a 3-2 margin. Rashid only took one wicket in the three matches that Ireland won, highlighting a simple equation that has often determined the fate of the result over the years. Rashid takes wickets - Afghanistan wins. Ireland sees him off - Ireland wins.

Pitch Report and Weather Conditions:

The Melbourne Cricket Ground-MCG pitch is considered to be one of the most competitive surfaces in the world. Everyone gets to play their roles at some point of time in the match. While pacers get assistance early in the innings, batters can play their strokes freely in the latter half. Meanwhile, spinners can make use of bigger boundaries.

According to weather.com, the temperature will be between 10-14 degrees Celsius on match day -the 28th of October, Friday. The chances of rain will be between 73-84%. Humidity will be between 75-80%. Winds will be from the West/ North West direction and variable (15-40 km/h). Light showers are expected to occur. Winds could occasionally gust over 65 km/h.

Team watch:

Afghanistan

Injured/Unavailable: There has been no reported injuries for Afghanistan

Tactics & Matchups: The focus will once again be on the spin bowling group of Afghanistan and how they are able to control Ireland's aggressive batters. Ireland came up short once against spin when Sri Lanka managed to choke them, and that could well prove to be a cue for Rashid Khan and Co. albeit in different conditions.

Probable XI: Hazratullah Zazai, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Usman Ghani, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Fareed Ahmed, Fazalhaq Farooqi

Ireland

Tactics & Matchups: With some focus on tackling spin, Ireland will be hard-pressed to counter the ball turning away with an all right-hand batting line-up that they fielded in their successful outing against England. Their bowling, which hinges on being smartly defensive on the other hand, promises to offer as big a challenge against an Afghanistan line-up that likes to take on the attack.

Probable XI: Andrew Balbirnie, Paul Stirling, Lorcan Tucker, Harry Tector, Curtis Campher, George Dockrell, Gareth Delany, Mark Adair, Barry McCarthy, Fionn Hand, Joshua Little

Did you know?

- Even though Ireland and Afghanistan have played 23 times against each other, it's the first time they will face each other in a world cup

- Rashid Khan's 37 wickets against Ireland is the most by a player against an opponent in T20Is.

- Josh Little has picked the most wickets among seamers in T20Is in 2022

What they said:

I hope we've done something similar. I've always said cricket isn't a big game in Ireland. We're the flag bearers, and we want to make it ag as possible. But it's certainly an absolute pleasure to play here, to lead the first Irish team to ever play here. And we get to play here on Friday, which is such a thrill - Andrew Balbirnie, Ireland Captain

The conditions are totally different from the Asian condition. So, everyone is very excited. And the way I feel yesterday, some of the boys were really upset because of the rain. So that means, that's showing that our players want to play cricket. And teams like Afghanistan and Ireland, they deserve to play more matches against the top nations - Raees Ahmadzai, Afghanistan's Assistant coach

In the spotlight

For most of his career, Ireland captain Andy Balbirnie batted at No. 3. But since Kevin O'Brien was dropped following Ireland's disastrous performance in the 2021 T20 World Cup in the UAE, Balbirnie has moved himself into the opening role and has justified the decision by doubling his prior career tally of four T20I half-centuries. The most recent of those came against England at the MCG, and he also served as a catalyst for the opening round win over West Indies that took them into the Super 12s with 37 off 23 balls.

Rahmanullah Gurbaz was the best six-hitter in the Asia Cup, clearing the ropes on 12 occasions to make 152 runs at a strike rate of 163. It might take that kind of muscle to clear the ropes at the MCG. He was also one of only three players to score a half-century for Afghanistan during the five-match series held in Belfast in August.

Stats and trivia

Hazratullah Zazai needs 33 runs to get to 1000 in T20Is. Nobody has more runs or a better average for Afghanistan against Ireland in T20Is than Zazai, who has made 466 at an average of 51.77, including a famous 162 not out off 62 balls at Dehradun in 2019.

Paul Stirling has an equally enviable record at the top of the order in this rivalry, scoring nearly 20% (614) of his T20I career runs (3133) against Afghanistan. He's saved his best for ICC tournaments against Afghanistan. Two of his four half-centuries in 22 innings against Afghanistan came in Player-of-the-Match performances to win the final of the ICC T20 World Cup Qualifier.

Last 5 AFG vs IRE games in Ireland

Ireland hosted a five-match T20I series against Afghanistan in August 2022. Here's a summary of those five matches:

IRE (56/3) beat AFG (95/5) by 7 wickets via D/L Method, Aug 17, 2022.

AFG (132/6) beat IRE (105) by 27 runs, Aug 15, 2022.

AFG (189/5) beat IRE (167/9) by 22 runs, Aug 12, 2022.

IRE (125/5) beat AFG (122/8) by 5 wickets, Aug 11, 2022.

IRE (171/3) beat AFG (168/7) by 7 wickets, Aug 9, 2022.

Points table after 2 rounds. Each team has played 2 matches so far.