Leeds is where England just lost to Sri Lanka.
If the track remains the same as that game, I wouldn't be so sure that Afghanistan will be a walkover on that ground.
They won't score 125 on that track (That ENG-SRL played) batting first against PAK attack (made 147 against SRL seemers
). Batting 2nd, they won't chase even 100 either .... simply non existent batting technique for a little tricky wicket. Their best chance against PAK is winning toss on a dry, cracked track, bat first and keep slogging - the day it connects, might score 250+; then PAK will be in trouble against 3 spinners.
AFGs have 3 very good bowlers for a particular condition, otherwise on good true wickets Ireland & Scotland will blow them comfortably while if ZIM fixes their internal problems, within a year ZIM A will blank AFGs. Last game against BD, they probably got their dream wicket, still lost comfortably - on a true wicket with fast outfield, they'll lose to IND by 150+ margin or inside 30 overs; against BD by 100+ margin or 35 overs. Against PAK, some days they might trouble PAK for the inconsistency, but some days will be simply blown away to dust.
Most of the upsets in Cricket took place on under-prepared low scoring tracks, where better sides were caught off-guard by inferior bowling, because the biggest gap between top sides and minnows are in bowling, which is considerably reduced on wickets that assists bowlers un-proportionately. AFGs are opposite - their bowling can compete with better teams on a particular track, but batting is absolute non existent for longer game - simply can't put enough runs for bowlers to fight. Otherwise, SRL gave them a dream chance by shooting own feet and still comfortably won, in a short game that suits Kung fu style AFG batting.
PP is a bit hyper in both extremes when it comes to Afghan cricket talent, but they are actually not that good, neither that much skilled for a game like cricket. Wait for just few more years until their 30ish
players, who had the fundamentals of red ball cricket from camps in PAK retire, you'll enjoy the trolling in PP by the same people hyping their talent to sky.
I have seen their younger players closely in this WC - this guy Zazai has a FC stats of 40/90; Noor Ali Zadran like 45/60; Naib 52/83; Rahmat 50/45; Ikram Khil 36/50; while Hamid Hasan & Dawlat Zadran are averaging ~20s with ball ....... that tells lot about the factory. If BCCI ends the favor, AFGs will be a team to watch (& listen) within a year.
he referenced these games against Pak and was quite confident that the game will be a formality for Ban...
loving it.
