World Cup 2023, Match 13 | Afghanistan Predicted XI vs England

image-lnr06i90Afghanistan is due to face England in the 13th match of the World Cup 2023 (Source: AP Photos)

The 2023 World Cup matches are coming thick and fast, and game 13 is set to feature England against Afghanistan at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. The game will commence at 2:00 PM IST. 

England began their campaign with a setback to New Zealand before mounting a great comeback to defeat Bangladesh. So far in the competition, their batting has worked nicely for them. The management, on the other hand, would like the lower middle-order and bowlers to go one step farther than their counterparts. 

For More Such Reads from OneCricket, Click Here.

Afghanistan, on the other hand, suffered two huge losses at the outset of the mega-event and is yet to achieve their first victory. They played India in their last encounter in Delhi but failed to demonstrate their potential. Despite having runs on the board, the bowlers were outplayed by Rohit Sharma and company.

Afghanistan will be looking for their first victory of the competition, while England will be looking to climb the points table. Let's take a short look at Afghanistan's expected starting lineup for the upcoming match against England.


Openers: Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran

Afghanistan possess a settled top order where Ibrahim Zadran and Rahmanullah Gurbaz opens the batting. It's a right-handed duo that has fared well for the side in the past and the team management does rely on them to do the job.

Gurbaz is a brilliant player of both pace and spin, more of an attacker. On the other hand, Ibrahim has that elegant touch and is one of the most technically sound batters of Afghanistan.

Middle-Order: Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi and Najibullah Zadran

The middle order of Afghanistan consists of some experienced characters in the form of Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi and Najibullah Zadran.

Rahmat and Hashmatullah tend to forge when there's a need to stabilise the innings. One of those examples was seen when the skipper held an important partnership with Azmatullah Omarzai against India in their latest assignment.

Najibullah Zadran on the other hand has looked out of chroma. He is a batter full of potential but has failed to step up when needed. But the Afghan management is likely to back him and give a few more opportunities.


All-rounders: Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi and Rashid Khan

Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi are the heart and core of this Afghanistan team. The all-rounder duo can change the complexion of a game anytime on their will. However, Omarzai is someone who out bursted into scene with commanding batting performance. He notched up his second half-century in ODIs against India in their recent game while batting out of position at no. 5. He can also add value with the wickets.


Bowlers: Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi and Naveen-ul-Haq

Fazalhaq Farooqi and Naveen-ul-Haq are currently the best pace bowlers of Afghanistan cricket circuit. Although the left and right arm pace team hasn't clicked well in the competition thus far, they're likely to retain their spot in the team. Mujeeb Ur Rahman would be another important figure who will play a part with both the hard and softer ball.


Afghanistan predicted XI vs England

Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Azmatullah Omarzai, Najibullah Zadra, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Naveen-ul-Haq, and Fazalhaq Farooqi.