Pakistan vs Afghanistan Prediction: Pakistan Have Won Both Their Games Against Afghanistan

• Pakistan have won both their games against Afghanistan in the past
• Pakistan’s pace bowling attack looks too strong for Afghanistan
• Pakistan are coming off a win against India whereas Afghanistan lost their versus Sri Lanka

Pakistan vs Afghanistan Odds

Odds taken from bet365 

Pakistan vs Afghanistan Prediction and Pick

Pakistan and Afghanistan have faced each other twice in T20 cricket, with Pakistan winning both the games. Not enough sample size but Pakistan do have a stronger side on paper. Expect Pakistan to win this Super 4 fixture on Wednesday.

Pakistan to Win (-250) at bet365

Pick made on 09/06/2022 at 07:28 AM EST

Pakistan: Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Fakhar Zaman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Asif Ali, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Hasnain/Shahnawaz Dahani, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah

Afghanistan: Hazratullah Zazai, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Mohammad Nabi (c), Najibullah Zadran, Karim Janat, Samiullah Shinwari, Rashid Khan, Naveen-ul-Haq, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi

Pakistan Favourites as They Look To Secure Berth in the Final

Pakistan and Afghanistan are set to meet in a Super 4 fixture in what would be their only third clash in the shorter format. The contest will take place at Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Wednesday. It’s a must-win game for Afghanistan while a win here puts Pakistan in a great position to reach the final of the Asia Cup.

Pakistan had their revenge when they defeated India by five wickets in their first Super 4 clash on Sunday. Their bowlers were taken apart by India’s top three in the first half of the innings but Shadab Khan (2/31) and Mohammad Nawaz (1/25) in their respective four-over spells pulled things back as India managed 181/7 on the board.

Babar Azam’s poor run continued while Fakhar Zaman also struggled to score quickly as Pakistan were reeling behind the game. Mohammad Rizwan held one end and scored 71 off 51 while Nawaz changed the game with the bat, smashing 42 off just 20. Asif Ali hammered 16 off 8 at the back end to power Pakistan to a thrilling victory.

Afghanistan were also involved in an intense contest against Sri Lanka but ended up on the wrong side, losing by four wickets. Rahmanullah Gurbaz was sensational at the top of the order, hitting 84 off just 45 to take his side to a good total of 175/6 at Shariah. Defending the target, Mujeeb Ur Rahman bagged 2 for 30 in his four overs but the rest of the bowlers were taken to the cleaners, with four Lankan batters scoring crucial 30s.

Team News

Pakistan don’t have Shaheen Afridi and Mohammad Wasim in the ongoing competition due to injuries while Shahnawaz Dahani was also injured during the tournament. He’s reported to be doing well but Pakistan are likely to be careful with him. Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah and Mohammad Hasnain form the pace attack with Shadab Khan and Mohammad Nawaz doing well in the spin department. Fakhar Zaman and Babar Azam’s form remain a concern. Mohammad Rizwan has been pretty solid while Asif Ali and Khushdil Shah did their job. Mohammad Nawaz is likely to get more opportunities with the bat.

Afghanistan have a settled playing XI and it is unlikely they will make any changes. Rahmanullah Gurbaz has been magnificent at the top while Ibrahim and Najibullah Zadran have done well in the middle order. But they will need support from the rest of the batting unit. Fazalhaq Farooqi and Naveen-ul-Haq are a good but inexperienced pace bowling pair. Mujeeb has been pretty consistent but Afghanistan will need more contribution from Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi.

Key Players

Mohammad Rizwan: The opening batter has been in terrific form, leading the run-scoring chart in the Asia Cup 2022. He has scored 192 runs in three innings, albeit at a low strike rate of 128. He’s coming off a superb 71 off 51 in the last game against India and will be a key figure in this clash. Rizwan has a fantastic record in the T20 format, with 1854 runs in 48 T20I innings at an average of 53 and strike rate of 129, including one hundred and 15 fifties.

Mujeeb Ur Rahman: The 21yr old is coming off some brilliant spells in the last four games, picking nine wickets in total. With Rashid going hot and cold in the tournament, the off-break mystery bowler becomes a key player for Afghanistan. Mujeeb Ur Rahman has an excellent record in international T20s, having claimed 45 wickets in just 31 matches. He conceded at 6.18 rpo and strikes every 15.2 balls.

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