ICC World Cup 2023: Pakistan v Afghanistan | Match 22 | Chennai | 23 October | Pre-Match Discussion

[ArabKnight]

Afghanistan team just destroyed England by 69 runs in Delhi. They just reignited their World Cup campaign & are pumped up to defeat some other teams. Pakistan is that team that Afghanistan always had in a chokehold, especially in captaincy of Babar Azam.

Pakistan is clueless and terrible against spin bowling just like the English. The spin bowling of Rashid, Mujeeb, and Nabi can wreck havoc against Pakistan. The pitch of Chennai will be really juicy for the bowlers (or rather dusty). ICC/BCCI is likely to prepare an absolute turner which is gonna be a nightmare to bat on. Who is Pakistan going to bowl on there? Shadab Khan? Mohammad Nawaz? Really? Are they going to be able to take real advantage of the pitch?

We also got Abrar Ahmed, Iftikhar Ahmed, Usama Mir who could have a ball. That is where things start to get real interesting.

Afghanistan is one of the teams that Babar Azam has a mental block against. He has an average of 45 @ a SR of 75. These are terrible numbers for a player of his caliber & a minnow like Afghanistan. Some may say Mujeeb could easily bowl him out with a googly.

Afghanistan surely aren’t no minnows if they’re gonna beat Pakistan. It’s possible that history is gonna be made in Chennai.

Since I’m boycotting Pakistan cricket, I’m gonna support Afghanistan to win. Afghanistan is a very motivated team. Cricket is the only happiness in Afghanistan as quoted by Rashid Khan. This country is facing so much hardships and challenges. The recent earthquakes in Afghanistan have taken so many lives. It’s truly a sad situation and I hope nothing but the best for them.

Za AFGHAN yam.
Zama JANAAN.

 

[Savak]

No better chance for Afghanistan. Pakistan needs to take the bold decision to pick both Usama Mir and Abrar going forward.

 

[Champ_Pal]

I doubt it. Afghanistan can run close with Pak, but cannot finish the game. They find a way to choke.

Pakistan has Imam, Shafiq and Iftikar who I feel are excellent players of spin. The only respite for Afg is that there is no Naseem Shah the batsman this time around. Afg can breathe easy

 

[batandballbattle]

relax, shafique, rizz and saud are all good players of spin and will deal with the threat

 

[ArabKnight]

I doubt it. Afghanistan can run close with Pak, but cannot finish the game. They find a way to choke.

Pakistan has Imam, Shafiq and Iftikar who I feel are excellent players of spin. The only respite for Afg is that there is no Naseem Shah the batsman this time around. Afg can breathe easy

Exactly there is no Shoaib Malik/Asif Ali/Naseem Shah factor that has won us our last close encounters.

The current lot of Nawaz/Afridi/Rauf don’t inspire alot of confidence in a chasing situation.

 

[TheSultan]

When you keep knocking on the door, sooner or later it’s going to open.

Afghanistan has a great chance. I have seen nothing from our team to show we are clearly better than Afghanistan.

 

[ArabKnight]

relax, shafique, rizz and saud are all good players of spin and will deal with the threat

How much does Saud average without that Netherlands innings?

 

[TheSultan]

relax, shafique, rizz and saud are all good players of spin and will deal with the threat

Like they handled Kuldeep and co.

Just because some players are better than some others (not difficult), it doesn’t make them good players of spin.

We seem to think any player who plays better than Babar against spin, is a good player of spin. Babar is an appalling player of spin so being g better than him is no achievement

 

[batandballbattle]

How much does Saud average without that Netherlands innings?

I trust my eyes and trust what I saw on the sri lanka tour
This hysteria will amount to nothing, we know how to play spin better

 

[pillionrider]

Afghanistan played today with a lot more attitude and fire than Pak even dreamt of mustering yesterday. There also seems to be genuine bonhomie among their players on the field, unlike Pakistan whose moments of bonding off the field sometimes feels scripted.

The one thing going for Pakistan though is some kind of a mental hold they have on Afg who have often come so close only to collapse from a mental breakdown rather than a lack of skill.

 

[Bhaijaan]

Last few occasions, Afghanistan has gotten closer and closer to beating Pakistan but lack of experience couldn’t take them over the line. I think the stage , the momentum , the overall vibe is just right for them to pose a major threat to this disoriented Pakistani team.

 

[Bhaijaan]

Afghanistan team just destroyed England by 69 runs in Delhi. They just reignited their World Cup campaign & are pumped up to defeat some other teams. Pakistan is that team that Afghanistan always had in a chokehold, especially in captaincy of Babar Azam.

Pakistan is clueless and terrible against spin bowling just like the English. The spin bowling of Rashid, Mujeeb, and Nabi can wreck havoc against Afghanistan. The pitch of Chennai will be really juicy for the bowlers (or rather dusty). ICC/BCCI is likely to prepare an absolute turner which is gonna be a nightmare to bat on. Who is Pakistan going to bowl on there? Shadab Khan? Mohammad Nawaz? Really? Are they going to be able to take real advantage of the pitch?

We also got Abrar Ahmed, Iftikhar Ahmed, Usama Mir who could have a ball. That is where things start to get real interesting.

Afghanistan is one of the teams that Babar Azam has a mental block against. He has an average of 45 @ a SR of 75. These are terrible numbers for a player of his caliber & a minnow like Afghanistan. Some may say Mujeeb could easily bowl him out with a googly.

Afghanistan surely aren’t no minnows if they’re gonna beat Pakistan. It’s possible that history is gonna be made in Chennai.

Since I’m boycotting Pakistan cricket, I’m gonna support Afghanistan to win. Afghanistan is a very motivated team. Cricket is the only happiness in Afghanistan as quoted by Rashid Khan. This country is facing so much hardships and challenges. The recent earthquakes in Afghanistan have taken so many lives. It’s truly a sad situation and I hope nothing but the best for them.

Za AFGHAN yam.
Zama JANAAN.

Bro are you from the Middle East.
Which country you belong to, I am
Presuming you are Pakistani

 

[shokz1408]

Nope this is the only upset afghans will cause in this World Cup v England. We will beat them.

 

[adzzy786]

Afghanistan team just destroyed England by 69 runs in Delhi. They just reignited their World Cup campaign & are pumped up to defeat some other teams. Pakistan is that team that Afghanistan always had in a chokehold, especially in captaincy of Babar Azam.

Pakistan is clueless and terrible against spin bowling just like the English. The spin bowling of Rashid, Mujeeb, and Nabi can wreck havoc against Afghanistan. The pitch of Chennai will be really juicy for the bowlers (or rather dusty). ICC/BCCI is likely to prepare an absolute turner which is gonna be a nightmare to bat on. Who is Pakistan going to bowl on there? Shadab Khan? Mohammad Nawaz? Really? Are they going to be able to take real advantage of the pitch?

We also got Abrar Ahmed, Iftikhar Ahmed, Usama Mir who could have a ball. That is where things start to get real interesting.

Afghanistan is one of the teams that Babar Azam has a mental block against. He has an average of 45 @ a SR of 75. These are terrible numbers for a player of his caliber & a minnow like Afghanistan. Some may say Mujeeb could easily bowl him out with a googly.

Afghanistan surely aren’t no minnows if they’re gonna beat Pakistan. It’s possible that history is gonna be made in Chennai.

Since I’m boycotting Pakistan cricket, I’m gonna support Afghanistan to win. Afghanistan is a very motivated team. Cricket is the only happiness in Afghanistan as quoted by Rashid Khan. This country is facing so much hardships and challenges. The recent earthquakes in Afghanistan have taken so many lives. It’s truly a sad situation and I hope nothing but the best for them.

Za AFGHAN yam.
Zama JANAAN.

Are you Pakistani? Genuine question

 

[ArabKnight]

Like they handled Kuldeep and co.

Just because some players are better than some others (not difficult), it doesn’t make them good players of spin.

We seem to think any player who plays better than Babar against spin, is a good player of spin. Babar is an appalling player of spin so being g better than him is no achievement

Exactly this Saud guy has already been exposed. Not sure why people are still are fascinated by that sub-20 average after 10 innings and think he’s the next Inzamam ul Haq.

Supposedly Iftikhar is a “good player” of spin. However, Yadav was able to pick up Saud and Iftikhar like freebies in the same over.

I can almost guarantee Mujeeb is gonna hit the pads or smash the stumps at least 2-3 times against Pakistan.

 

[AAli98]

Play the afgh spinners of the back foot if you play them on the front foot in Chennai it’ll be curtains.

Afgh showed today targets can be defended.

 

[batandballbattle]

Like they handled Kuldeep and co.

Just because some players are better than some others (not difficult), it doesn’t make them good players of spin.

We seem to think any player who plays better than Babar against spin, is a good player of spin. Babar is an appalling player of spin so being g better than him is no achievement

No one on kuldeep's level in the afg side

 

[UP]

Afghanistan played today with a lot more attitude and fire than Pak even dreamt of mustering yesterday. There also seems to be genuine bonhomie among their players on the field, unlike Pakistan whose moments of bonding off the field sometimes feels scripted.

The one thing going for Pakistan though is some kind of a mental hold they have on Afg who have often come so close only to collapse from a mental breakdown rather than a lack of skill.

Pak beat Afg 3-0 in August, 2023. 2 of them were comprehensive victories.

 

[Rana]

No better chance for Afghanistan. Pakistan needs to take the bold decision to pick both Usama Mir and Abrar going forward.

They have to injure someone in the original 15 to pick Abrar.

Where is Shoaib Akhtar and Afridi fighting with Asif becoming a casualty of war when you need them!

 

[emranabbas]

Inshallah Afghanistan will win this

Full support to Afghanistan

 

[apnapind]

Pak beat Afg 3-0 in August, 2023. 2 of them were comprehensive victories.

Ya true people here thinks pak will play as badly as england did which is funny pak played their spinners in last series pretty easily.

 

[Swashbuckler]

If Pak play genuine spinners instead of fake all rounders for fake batting depth, they will do just fine. Playing Shadab, Nawaz on Indian pitches just for 20-30 extra runs is madness. Every time I have seen Iftikhar bowl he looks like the best Pakistani spinner, and he is a part timer not even at Maxwell's level. Chennai pitch always aids spinners, but if Shadab bowls 2 full tosses and 2 half trackers every over how can pitch help him?

Power play one won't decide the Pak-Afg game. The middle overs, 10-40 will. They have Rashid, Mujeeb, Nabi. How does Pakistan plan to counter?

 

[pillionrider]

Pak beat Afg 3-0 in August, 2023. 2 of them were comprehensive victories.

Ok. It seems like the close ones tend to stick in your mind if you're not a Pakistani or Afghan.

 

[ArabKnight]

Pak beat Afg 3-0 in August, 2023. 2 of them were comprehensive victories.

Ya true people here thinks pak will play as badly as england did which is funny pak played their spinners in last series pretty easily.

Pakistan was very very lucky to win the toss and bat first against them on two occasions.

That one time when Afghanistan won the toss & batted first in that series—Pakistan was able to crawl to victory with 1 wicket remaining & 1 ball remaining.

And that’s when Naseem Shah was playing!

 

[TheSultan]

They have to injure someone in the original 15 to pick Abrar.

Where is Shoaib Akhtar and Afridi fighting with Asif becoming a casualty of war when you need them!

Sadly we can’t even hope for this any more. Our fast bowlers blow kisses now.

 

[RyanRyan10]

Afghanistan batting is weak, only Gurbaz is good. Even Nawaz can run through them.

 

[apnapind]

Afghanistan batting is weak, only Gurbaz is good. Even Nawaz can run through them.

Then how come england couldnt beat them with having the strongest batting line up

 

[deltexas]

Silly as it sounds Afg has a pretty good chance against pak especially as the game is at Chennai. A low slow Turner and the afg team can turn it on. More importantly they have nothing to lose whereas all the pressure will be on pak. And all the afg bowlers have experience playing at chennai in the ipl games.. should be a cracker of a game and btw no Naseem shah to hit those last ball sixes lol !

 

[Sunzi]

Anything can happen. Some of the teams are in transition/declining making them now more closely matched than ever before or at least susceptible to a result like today's.

South Africa are the outlier, India look strong and have the added benefit of home support. NZ have started well and usually fair well in international tournaments.

Australia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and England are all over the shop.

 

[Saj]

If it's a pitch that takes spin and Afghanistan bat first and put up a decent total, don't be surprised if Pakistan lose.

 

[RyanRyan10]

Then how come england couldnt beat them with having the strongest batting line up

English batters are FTBs

Pakistan batters play spin batter

 

[apnapind]

How have you seen pak batters agianst kuldeep and jadeja?

English batters are FTBs

Pakistan batters play spin batter

 

[Rana]

Pakistan’s 3 match series in SL was critical.

Afghanistan probably would not have wanted this series, giving Babar/Rizwan/Iftikhar a good look at Mujeeb+Rashid+Nabi in reasonably good spinning conditions

The Pakistani batters would be a lot more confident knowing they have done ok-well against them not too long ago.

But it’s a World Cup fixture, Afghanistan play against Pakistan as if they are possessed knowing that the whole world is watching. This win against England will give them the belief that they can beat anyone now.

 

[ArabKnight]

How have you seen pak batters agianst kuldeep and jadeja?

Forget that guy, he doesn’t even know a lick of cricket.

This is Mujeeb’s stats against countries.

Pakistan is clearly the worst team that has played him. Mujeeb loves performing against Pakistan.

Versus	Matches	O	M	R	W	4w	Best	Avg	S/R	E/R
Australia​	1​	4.5​	0​	45​	1​	0​	1/45​	45.00​	29.00​	9.31​
Bangladesh​	11​	99.1​	3​	403​	13​	0​	3/39​	31.00​	45.77​	4.06​
England​	1​	10.0​	0​	44​	0​	0​	0/44​	​	​	4.40​
India​	3​	28.0​	1​	133​	1​	0​	1/26​	133.00​	168.00​	4.75​
Pakistan​	5​	50.0​	6​	195​	9​	0​	3/33​	21.67​	33.33​	3.90​
Sri Lanka​	9​	60.0​	2​	318​	5​	0​	2/32​	63.60​	72.00​	5.30​
West Indies​	6​	59.5​	4​	262​	12​	1​	4/43​	21.83​	29.92​	4.38​
Overall (13)​	68​	594.3​	37​	2499​	93​	4​	5/50​	26.87​	38.35​	4.20​

 

[Mockingbird]

I wouldn’t trust India to not lose against Afghanistan in Chennai, let alone Pakistan. There is a reason CSK with its dodgy pace and batting stock has made it to almost every IPL knockout, riding on the back of its spinners.

 

[sweep_shot]

If Afghans can beat England, they can beat any team.

So, it is quite possible for them to beat Pakistan. But, Pakistan are favorites.

 

[MenInG]

One more issue is how nasty the crowd is there against Pakistan. I can guarantee that they will all be supporting Afghanistan - whether it will be to the distasteful level as Ahmedabad is yet to be seen.

 

[ArabKnight]

One more issue is how nasty the crowd is there against Pakistan. I can guarantee that they will all be supporting Afghanistan - whether it will be to the distasteful level as Ahmedabad is yet to be seen.

The crowd factor is definitely some thing to consider. There will be alot of Afghan support for sure.

However, for some reason, I think there won’t be alot of problems. Chennai is located in South India in peaceful state of Tamil Nadu. It’s a very educated, developed, modern place like Hyderabad.

People there are very likely to be pro-Pakistan in a neutral encounter.

 

[jnaveen1980]

Pakistan is too familiar with Afghanistan to slip up. Only chance is them batting first and putting up a decent total. Under lights ball will swing, bounce and later turn. Chennai dew is relatively low compared to other cities.

 

[jnaveen1980]

Only saving grace for Pakistan is there is no left arm spinner in the ranks of Chennai. They can be lethal in Chennai. If they pick Noor Ahmed that is going to be interesting.

 

[pakrock]

Pak team wins or loses mostly mentally. They could still beat Afghanistan easily from losing situations and vice versa lose to India from winning positions. It's all in the head..

 

[MenInG]

The crowd factor is definitely some thing to consider. There will be alot of Afghan support for sure.

However, for some reason, I think there won’t be alot of problems. Chennai is located in South India in peaceful state of Tamil Nadu. It’s a very educated, developed, modern place like Hyderabad.

People there are very likely to be pro-Pakistan in a neutral encounter.

The enemy of my enemy is my friend.

The whole stadium will be Afghan supporters.

 

[Aseem_Khan]

Pakistan should thank BCCi 100x times that Govt of India didn't grant visa to their citizen
2 pro.

1.Pakistani fan would've crumbled seeing their team performance in Modi stadium.

2. There are a lot of Afganis in India a few are my friends , They were eagerly waiting for this clash with hockey sticks and chairs and were in full mood to welcome pakistanis in stadium ,Guess what Afganis would've beaten them black and blue. They know here police' won't take strict action against them ,Government would'vd helped them to get away with it behind the doors so all in all it's worked for pakistan

But few complaining not getting visas etc ,you shouldn't.

 

[rickroll]

One more issue is how nasty the crowd is there against Pakistan. I can guarantee that they will all be supporting Afghanistan - whether it will be to the distasteful level as Ahmedabad is yet to be seen.

Isn't Chennai the place that is known to have shown appreciation for Pakistan even when Pakistan was playing against India? I feel the crowd would not be too hostile given that Pakistan is playing a non-Indian team (given that Chennai crowd has appreciated Pakistan even when playing against India).

 

[rickroll]

Forget that guy, he doesn’t even know a lick of cricket.

This is Mujeeb’s stats against countries.

Pakistan is clearly the worst team that has played him. Mujeeb loves performing against Pakistan.

Versus	Matches	O	M	R	W	4w	Best	Avg	S/R	E/R
Australia​	1​	4.5​	0​	45​	1​	0​	1/45​	45.00​	29.00​	9.31​
Bangladesh​	11​	99.1​	3​	403​	13​	0​	3/39​	31.00​	45.77​	4.06​
England​	1​	10.0​	0​	44​	0​	0​	0/44​	​	​	4.40​
India​	3​	28.0​	1​	133​	1​	0​	1/26​	133.00​	168.00​	4.75​
Pakistan​	5​	50.0​	6​	195​	9​	0​	3/33​	21.67​	33.33​	3.90​
Sri Lanka​	9​	60.0​	2​	318​	5​	0​	2/32​	63.60​	72.00​	5.30​
West Indies​	6​	59.5​	4​	262​	12​	1​	4/43​	21.83​	29.92​	4.38​
Overall (13)​	68​	594.3​	37​	2499​	93​	4​	5/50​	26.87​	38.35​	4.20​

These are strong stats for Mujeeb against Pakistan, especially the strike rate and efficiency rate.

 

[rickroll]

The enemy of my enemy is my friend.

The whole stadium will be Afghan supporters.

I did not consider this factor

 

[rickroll]

Pakistan should thank BCCi 100x times that Govt of India didn't grant visa to their citizen
2 pro.

1.Pakistani fan would've crumbled seeing their team performance in Modi stadium.

2. There are a lot of Afganis in India a few are my friends , They were eagerly waiting for this clash with hockey sticks and chairs and were in full mood to welcome pakistanis in stadium ,Guess what Afganis would've beaten them black and blue. They know here police' won't take strict action against them ,Government would'vd helped them to get away with it behind the doors so all in all it's worked for pakistan

But few here poster complaining not getting visas etc ,you shouldn't.

Is this for real? Seems a bit far fetched. But is also possible given the Afghans' behavior in 2019 WC after the Pak-AFG game.

 

[jnaveen1980]

I incidentally came across this on Twitter. I am kinda surprised at this stat. 75 strike rate against Afghanistan spinners

 

[vprasanna83]

One more issue is how nasty the crowd is there against Pakistan. I can guarantee that they will all be supporting Afghanistan - whether it will be to the distasteful level as Ahmedabad is yet to be seen.

I can guarantee you that the crowd ( I will be one among them ) in Chennai will be the most sporting . We in the south dont suffer from the recent disease that plagues our North Indian friends. So you can rest assured that the crowd will support good cricket , as it did when pakistan came here in 1997 and 1999 .

However , the pitch here is a spinners paradise and will surely favour Afghanistan . Pakistan will have their work cutout .

The weather has changed here now to be a lot more pleasant as it is the beginning of our monsoon season. However it is unlikely that the rains will have a effect , as the monsoon is expected to pick up only late in the month

 

[RyanRyan10]

How have you seen pak batters agianst kuldeep and jadeja?

One bad match doesn't make them bad players.

 

[globetrotter]

Every match is a new day.......both sides have 50-50, but its a interesting contest to watch, it may be a cliffhanger at the end like Pak-SL in Asia Cup

 

[mominsaigol]

Sadly we can’t even hope for this any more. Our fast bowlers blow kisses now.

We'd win in any condition except chennai. Now that we face them in chennai babar and rizzu are bunnies.

We have to home saud and Abdullah who are brand new and don't have enough under their belt can come good.

This won't be like the odi series, Afg are a spin Bully unit that loves spin pitches, and no naseem means our bowlers will have a tough time.

Tbf I still think Pakistan will win, Afg is kinda Cursed against Pakistan because of farooqi

Not to mention our spinners, good god

 

[DesiMunda]

The enemy of my enemy is my friend.

The whole stadium will be Afghan supporters.

I was there in the stadium yesterday. 70%-80% was support for Afghanistan even against England. But this was in Delhi which also has a large Afghan population. Not sure how it is in Chennai.

 

[jnaveen1980]

I was there in the stadium yesterday. 70%-80% was support for Afghanistan even against England. But this was in Delhi which also has a large Afghan population. Not sure how it is in Chennai.

Chennai fans were supporting Australia just because Australian jersy is yellow color since CSK jersey is also yellow. You will see fair number of Dhoni fans there. But generally one of the most neutral ground as they appreciate good cricket. But it was disappointing to see only 31k for India/Australia match due to some ticket issues.

 

[DesiMunda]

Chennai fans were supporting Australia just because Australian jersy is yellow color since CSK jersey is also yellow. You will see fair number of Dhoni fans there. But generally one of the most neutral ground as they appreciate good cricket. But it was disappointing to see only 31k for India/Australia match due to some ticket issues.

Yaar, don't get me started on the ticket issues. Only way to get tickets is through jugaad.

 

[emranabbas]

Afghanistan batting is weak, only Gurbaz is good. Even Nawaz can run through them.

This weak batting managed to put 270 on the board vs indian bowling which is the best bowling in world up so far

Pakistan didnt even manage 200

Also Afghanistan spinners are bowling really well this worldcup their average and econ rate is better than pakistans and pakistan have only played weak teams yet bar india

 

[Hitman]

You can expect a century from Babar.

 

[emranabbas]

English batters are FTBs

Pakistan batters play spin batter

Bro we seen how well they play spin in the vs india match

 

[RyanRyan10]

This weak batting managed to put 270 on the board vs indian bowling which is the best bowling in world up so far

Pakistan didnt even manage 200

Also Afghanistan spinners are bowling really well this worldcup their average and econ rate is better than pakistans and pakistan have only played weak teams yet bar india

The Indian match was played on a batting friendly pitch.

Pakistan were poor against India but comparing both teams just on the basis of performance against one team is wrong. The same Afghanistan were outclassed by Bangladesh, a team which Pakistan has totally dominated in almost all of recent meets.

 

[emranabbas]

The Indian match was played on a batting friendly pitch.

Pakistan were poor against India but comparing both teams just on the basis of performance against one team is wrong. The same Afghanistan were outclassed by Bangladesh, a team which Pakistan has totally dominated in almost all of recent meets.

If you want to talk about pitches then who are your spinners on a spinning friendly pitch?

Shadab nawaz and chacha ?

Shadab and nawaz are already averaging 70+ with the ball this worldcup and both touching 50 for the whole year

 

[daytrader]

We will miss Naseem the batter and fighter for sure. Hopefully the other guys step up and we get a new hero

 

[thelandofthebravepeople]

Pakistan is clear favorites.
The only chance Afghanistan have is to bat first and put a decent total on the board. Their batting could very well collapse as it has done in all the games so far.
If Pakistan bat first the chances of winning is above 90%. Afghanistan got out for 59 chasing around 200 against Pakistan lately.

If I was Afghanistan I would drop one of the mediocre pacers and play Noor Ahmad and go all out with spin.

 

[Swashbuckler]

Afghans also have a mental block against Pakistan. They often dominate large parts of the match, get into winning positions and then choke.

 

[RyanRyan10]

If you want to talk about pitches then who are your spinners on a spinning friendly pitch?

Shadab nawaz and chacha ?

Shadab and nawaz are already averaging 70+ with the ball this worldcup and both touching 50 for the whole year

Except for their openers, Afghanistan batting is associate level. Pakistan spinners would be good enough for them.

 

[Mesozoic]

How are people here concluding that the Chennai wicket is going to be spin-friendly?


The last game here between New Zealand and Bangladesh was played on a true wicket with pace and bounce where Lockie Ferguson bowled a match winning spell and NZ seamers picked 7 out of 9 wickets. Even in the India-Australia game, ball was doing a lot for the seamers under lights.

 

[Mesozoic]

Afghanistan has a dead awful middle order. All you need is get rid of Gurbaz before he does too much damage and they'll struggle to get even close to a par total or chase a decent target.

Pakistan needs to underperform (like England did) to lose this.

 

[mominsaigol]

Afghanistan batting is weak, only Gurbaz is good. Even Nawaz can run through them.

Nawaz ain't running through anyone mate

 

[Farabi]

How are people here concluding that the Chennai wicket is going to be spin-friendly?


The last game here between New Zealand and Bangladesh was played on a true wicket with pace and bounce where Lockie Ferguson bowled a match winning spell and NZ seamers picked 7 out of 9 wickets. Even in the India-Australia game, ball was doing a lot for the seamers under lights.

OPs are saying it’s both. Jadeja and Kuldeep also had a field day vs Aus on that wicket.
It won’t be easy for Pakistan against Mujeeb and Rashid on that wicket.

 

[Bhaijaan]

I have the biggest dilemma in front of me. On one side there is Pakistan, my beloved brothers, formerly Bharatiyas for whom i will always have love and sympathy in my heart. Also a lot of Punjabis there whom i share a separate bond with language wise.

On the other side , there is Afghanistan, my favorite nation , my Pathan brothers who share with me a historic Hindi - Pathani dosti & Mohobbat. My favorite movie of all time also is Khuda Gawah and my favorite love story of all time also is Badshah Khan & Benazir. Badshah Khan would always be the ideal husband, ideal brother, ideal ambassador of his tribe and qaum, there will probably never ever be another Badshah Khan, the greatest fictional hero of all time.


With love
From Bhaijaan
Sur-zameen-e-hindustan

 

[topspin]

If it's the Chennai wicket we all expect, offering plenty of assistance to spinners then I have Afghanistan as favourites. Afghan spinners will deliver and make it tricky for the Pakistan batsmen. The question is can Pakistan stop Gurbaz?

 

[JattMaula]

I have the biggest dilemma in front of me. On one side there is Pakistan, my beloved brothers, formerly Bharatiyas for whom i will always have love and sympathy in my heart. Also a lot of Punjabis there whom i share a separate bond with language wise.

On the other side , there is Afghanistan, my favorite nation , my Pathan brothers who share with me a historic Hindi - Pathani dosti & Mohobbat. My favorite movie of all time also is Khuda Gawah and my favorite love story of all time also is Badshah Khan & Benazir. Badshah Khan would always be the ideal husband, ideal brother, ideal ambassador of his tribe and qaum, there will probably never ever be another Badshah Khan, the greatest fictional hero of all time.


With love
From Bhaijaan
Sur-zameen-e-hindustan

Your sincerely bought tears to my eyes.

 

[Bhaijaan]

Your sincerely bought tears to my eyes.

It was an emotional moment yesterday to see our boys (they really are our 2nd team in this tournament given that they are based in Delhi) winning their first World Cup match and that too against defending champions.

Sultanat-e-Dilli giving all the love and coziness to our Pathan brothers from another mothers.

Much love

 

[Bhaijaan]

Having said that, nothing can ever be as special as my bonding with my Pakistani brothers.

With Afghans i am more emotionally attached because of our shared values of Mohobbat & respect.

But with Pakistanis i share a bond of Bharat. I never in my heart considered them separate because they were and will always be our own. Pakistan’s sovereignty we totally respect , but Pakistanis will always be considered our own by some Bharatiyas like me no matter what. It’s like the love of Jesus Christ for his followers. You may crucify me but i will always love you.

 

[Devadwal]

No but It will be close match .

 

[JaDed]

Should take the road home if they do lol.
Afghanistan cannot challenge PCT unless Pct plays meek cricket.
This will be one sided game.

 

[Bhaijaan]

Should take the road home if they do lol.
Afghanistan cannot challenge PCT unless Pct plays meek cricket.
This will be one sided game.

They have been getting close to winning in last many meetings. Can’t be a case of Pakistan occasionally playing meek cricket, Afghanistan is actually getting better at cricket. The batsmen and pacers they have today are a clear upgrade over what they had 4 years ago

 

[jnaveen1980]

How are people here concluding that the Chennai wicket is going to be spin-friendly?


The last game here between New Zealand and Bangladesh was played on a true wicket with pace and bounce where Lockie Ferguson bowled a match winning spell and NZ seamers picked 7 out of 9 wickets. Even in the India-Australia game, ball was doing a lot for the seamers under lights.

Three pitches there

1) Red soil pitch
2) Black soil pitch
3) Red+Black soil pitch.

Each one of them behave differently. So it depends on what you get. Black soil lasts longer without breaking up. It provides pace and bounce. Bit like Australian pitches . Red soil will crack earlier and spinners will come into play.

 

[Buffet]

Posters are reading too much into one loss of Pakistan against a strong Indian team.

 

[Bhaijaan]

Posters are reading too much into one loss of Pakistan against a strong Indian team.

I agree.
Still title contenders.

 

[jnaveen1980]

Posters are reading too much into one loss of Pakistan against a strong Indian team.

Yes. All teams have weaknesses in this world cup. How well you hide is important