World Cup 2023, Match 34 | Afghanistan Predicted XI vs Netherlands

image-loh5emaxAfghanistan will play the Netherlands in the 34th match of the World Cup 2023 (Source: AP Photos)

As we move to the business end of the 2023 World Cup, things are getting more intense concerning the qualification scenario.  Netherlands and Afghanistan will square off against each other in the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Stadium, Lucknow. The match is slated to begin at 2:00 PM IST.

Netherlands have had a great World Cup outing where they have earned two major victories. One of their premium bowlers, Paul van Meekeren was heard in an interview, that they wanted to win at least two games. And the best part is that the Netherlands have already trounced South Africa and Bangladesh in the tournament. They were also close enough to beat Pakistan but faltered eventually.  With four points in the bag they are positioned over Bangladesh and England.

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Meanwhile, the Afghanistan are one of the emerging nations in the cricketing world. They have been blissful in the tourmament and have three wins from six matches thus far. They have won against England, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka and have a good chance to qualify for the semi-finals. Currently, they are positioned sixth in the points table with as many points from as many games. They are just below Pakistan and two-three wins in their remaining games could help them qualify for the semi final. 

Having said that, let us have a quick look at the predicted XI of Afghanistan against Netherlands.


Openers: Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran

The Afghanistan side possess a set pair in their top four. Rahmanullah Gurbaz will be opening the batting with Ibrahim Zadran. While the former is a dynamic batter who can attack the bowlers upfront, the latter can be the grafter and play the elongated innings.

Gurbaz notched up three forty-plus scores thus far in the World Cup that includes two half-centuries. He is the second-highest run-scorer for the Atalans in the ongoing bonanza event. His partner, Ibrahim has racked up 212 runs from six innings and is going steady with the bat at the moment.


Middle Order: Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi and Najibullah Zadran

The Afghani middle order consists of Rahmat Shah and Hashmatullah Shahidi, two of the most important components in their batting. Both batters have been outstanding for the Atalans, having scored 212 and 226 runs from six innings respectively.

Both batters played a crucial role in their victory in the last game against Sri Lanka. The best part of Shah and Shahidi is adaptability according to the situation and the ability to soak up pressure.

Since Ikram Alikhil was injured in the last match, this could pave the path for a return for Najibullah Zadran. The left-hander is a talent-head but has been out of form for quite some time now. But this should be his chance to capitalise on the opportunity.


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

Afghanistan has found a gem of a seam bowling all-rounder in Azmatullah Omarzai. He scored a fifty against India earlier and also played a crucial knock against Sri Lanka in their last game. He scored 73 off 63 balls against Sri Lanka , batting at no. 5 and eased off the chase for the Atalans.

Mohammad Nabi and Rashid Khan would be the spin bowling all-rounders for the Afghan side. Nabi is one of the oldest members of Afghanistan cricket and is an asset to be worshipped. Rashid has been good with his bowling and can play cameos lower down the order.


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

Naveen-ul-Haq and Fazalhaq Farooqi will be the two pacers of the Afghan side against the Netherlands. The former has a healthy amount of experience bowling in these conditions as he was a part of the Lucknow Super Giants in IPL 2023. The latter was tremendous with the ball in the last game and claimed a four-for.

Farooqi was struggling with his form earlier but it's a good sign for Afghanistan that the left-arm quick found his touch back. Both Farooqi and Naveen possess good change-ups in their armoury and it will be key in this surface. Mujeeb Ur Rahman should be the other bowler for Afghanistan. If Noor Ahmad is fit to play, Mujeeb might make way for the left-arm wrist spinner. Else, the finger spinner is the front-runner to make the playing XI.


Afghanistan Predicted XI against Netherlands.

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