FANTASY
Follow UsAfghanistan moved up to the third spot above India in the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Super League standings with a 60-run win over Zimbabwe in the first ODI and now the hosts would brace for a change in fortune in order to keep the hopes of a series win alive. Sikandar Raza stood tall from one end and continued to take Zimbabwe closer to the total but as soon as Rashid Khan dismissed him, the game was pretty much decided. Hence, in the second ODI, Zimbabwe will be mindful of their shots and ensure things don’t escalate that quickly.
Head to Head
Overall | Matches 26 | Afghanistan 16 | Zimbabwe 11
Last Five Matches | Afghanistan 4 | Zimbabwe 1
Ground Details and Team Combination
Unlike many venues around the world, Harare Sports Club hasn’t changed much in the last few years and nor have undergone any metamorphosis to accommodate a batting-friendly surface. Since January 2018, Harare Sports Club has hosted 19 matches in which 8023 runs have been scored at a run rate of 4.8. A batting average of 26.9 with a balls per dismissal ratio of 33.6. Hence, one can easily conclude that this is not the easiest of surfaces to bat. 169 of the total 275 wickets that fell in the aforementioned time period went to pacers whereas spinners have had a share of 106 wickets. Naturally, pacers have had a better bowling average and bowling strike rate - 26.2 and 33 respectively - as compared to 31.8 and 41.8 by the spinners.
Team Selection
While you could go for the above team, you also have the option of choosing your team from Cricket.com’s Fantasy Research Centre. You can use this tool to build your team with the help of algorithms. Then, based on your preferences, the platform will guide you through creating the ideal fantasy XI.
Captain selection
The star of the last encounter, Rahmanullah Gurbaz has taken the ODI cricket like a duck to the water. In his nascent ODI career, he has averaged 49.44 with three centuries which tells you that he is a player that Afghanistan and world cricket will see a lot of. A balls per dismissal ratio of 55.2 is an indicator of the fact that he sticks on the wicket for a long period and can utilize that frame to give us a good standing.
Our Criclytics Player Projection predicts Gurbaz to score 26-40 runs
X-Factors
With an average of 34.65 and a strike rate of 84.2, Sikandar Raza continues to be a mainstay in the Zimbabwean line-up for a long time now. In his career, Raza has 20 fifties and three centuries, which is a fair indicator of things that have come forward. In terms of fantasy point yield, there is none better, given the propensity with which he operates, and hence, he is going to be a big part of our XI.
Our Criclytics Player Projection predicts Raza to score 22-34 runs and pick 0-1 wickets
If Rashid Khan is there to be picked, he should be picked. The best T20 player of our generation, Rashid hasn’t been able to make the same stride in ODIs but he is no mug as we could see in the first game of the season. A side like Zimbabwe know very well the perils of playing against Rashid as it could backfire taking him on. That justifies his economy rate of 3.9. Also, with the kind of hitting abilities that Rashid has, it is fair to assume that he would be an important cog in the wheel for us.
Our Criclytics Player Projection predicts Rashid to pick 2-3 wickets
Probable XIs:
Zimbabwe: Regis Chakabva (wk), Innocent Kaia, Craig Ervine (c), Wesley Madhevere, Sikandar Raza, Milton Shumba, Ryan Burl, Donald Tiripano, Tendai Chatara, Tanaka Chivanga, Blessing Muzarabani
Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Fareed Ahmad Malik
