The trophy for the Emerging Teams Asia Cup 2023 (Source: Twitter)
Bangladesh A and Afghanistan A to go up against each other in match number nine of the ongoing ACC Men’s Emerging Teams Asia Cup 2023 on July 18. The fixture is a first of the double-header on the day, and is the penultimate Group A game of the league stage.
Team Preview
Bangladesh A
Bangladesh A responded strongly after losing out to hosts Sri Lanka A in the opening match of the tournament. They defeated Oman A in their very next outing by seven wickets and more than 33 overs to spare. Tanzim Hasan Sakib for his four-wicket haul was adjudged as ‘Player of the Match’.
The team features invaluable international experience, considering players like Soumya Sarkar, Mahmudul Hasan Joy and captain Saif Hassan among a few others have represented Bangladesh at the top level in some capacity.
Afghanistan A
Afghanistan A, on the other hand, are riding in confidence with their wins over Oman A and Sri Lanka A in their first two games of the competition. The latter of those two wins turned out to be from the match of the tournament, as the Afghan players restricted hosts within 11 runs of their target in a nail-biting finish.
Owing to their unbeaten run so far, Afghanistan A is currently placed at the top of the Group A points table.
Match Details
Date and Time: July 18, 10:00 AM IST
Venue: P Sara Oval, Colombo
Live Streaming and Broadcast: FanCode (No live telecast)
Pitch Report
The conditions at the Colombo’s P Sara Oval generally favours spinners. Across all ODIs played here, the average first innings total has ranged around between 180 to 190. The teams batting second here have won 11 times in comparison to nine wins from teams batting first, and the aforementioned stat might persuade captains to prefer chasing upon winning the toss.
Probable Playing XIs
Bangladesh A: Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Mohammad Naim, Zakir Hasan, Saif Hassan (c), Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Soumya Sarkar, Akbar Ali (wk), Mahedi Hasan, Rakibul Hasan, Ripon Mondol and Tanzid Hasan.
Afghanistan A: Zubaid Akbari, Riaz Hassan, Shahidullah Kamal (c), Baheer Shah, Ikram Alikhil (wk), Sharafuddin Ashraf, Zia-ur-Rehman, Noor Ali Zadran, Mohammad Ibrahim Abdulrahimzai, Bilal Sami and Mohammad Saleem Safi.
Cricket Exchange Fantasy Tips
Wicketkeeper: Ikram Alikhil, Akbar Ali
Batters: Riaz Hassan, Tanzid Hasan, Noor Ali Zadran, Mahmudul Hasan Joy
All-Rounders: Mahedi Hasan, Soumya Sarkar, Sharafuddin Ashraf
Bowlers: Mohammad Ibrahim Abdulrahimzai, Ripon Mondol
Captain: Soumya Sarkar
Vice-Captain: Tanzid Hasan
Prediction
Afghanistan A, owing to their recent form, will start out as favourites to defeat Bangladesh A.
 "Aakash Saini")
