Zimbabwe have been the most clinical unit of the tournament (AP Photo)
The business end of the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifiers 2023 begins with the commencement of the Super Sixes stage, which will see Zimbabwe take on Oman in Match No.1 on Thursday (June 29) at Bulawayo. Zimbabwe topped Group A with four wins out of four, while Oman finished third in Group B with 2 wins and as many losses.
Team Preview
Zimbabwe
Unbeaten in the tournament, the Craig Ervine-led side shows no signs of stopping until they book their flight to India for the main Cricket World Cup 2023 draw. For the hosts, all-rounder Sikandar Raza has been stellar with both bat and ball, while batters like Sean Williams and Ervine have made merry on batter-friendly conditions.
With Raza is stealing the show, Richard Ngarava's performances has taken a backseat. Spearhead of the attack, Ngarava has picked up 10 wickets thus far.
Oman
Oman, who started their campaign with wins, suffered thumping losses in their last two matches. The Zeeshan Maqsood-captained side will face an uphill battle to qualify, given how other teams have performed.
Not to be disheartened, Oman did beat much-favoured Ireland and could play spoilsport for other teams, if not taken seriously. A lot will depend on the shoulders of Mohammad Nadeem, Shoaib Khan, Aqib Ilyas, Bilal Khan, and Fayyaz Butt.
Match Details
Date & Time: June 26, 12.30 PM IST
Venue: Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo
Live Broadcast & Streaming: Star Sports Network & Disney+Hotstar
Pitch Report
A bowl-first track, Queens Sports Club helps pacers early on with movement and then assists spinners as the game progress. However, batting in the second innings becomes easier as seen in several matches.
Probable XIs
Zimbabwe: Tadiwanashe Marumani, Innocent Kaia, Wessly Madhevere, Sean Williams (c), Sikandar Raza, Ryan Burl, Joylord Gumbie (wk), Brad Evans, Luke Jongwe, Wellington Masakadza, Richard Ngarava
Oman: Kashyap Prajapati, Jatinder Singh, Aqib Ilyas, Zeeshan Maqsood (c), Mohammad Nadeem, Shoaib Khan, Ayaan Khan, Naseem Khushi (wk), Jay Odedra, Fayyaz Butt, Bilal Khan
Cricket Exchange Fantasy Tips
Wicket-Keepers: Joylord Gumbie, Zeeshan Maqsood
Batters: Sean Williams, Craig Ervine, Mohammad Nadeem, Aqib Ilyas
All-Rounders: Sikandar Raza, Ayaan Khan
Bowlers: Richard Ngarava, Fayyaz Butt, Bilal Khan
Captain: Sean Williams
Vice-Captain: Sikandar Raza
Prediction
Zimbabwe are riding high on confidence and looks like the more balanced side, however, Oman will want to give them a close fight but expect the hosts to win this encounter with ease.
 "Vishal Mehra")
