Afghanistan v http://www.senore.com/Cricket/ICC-World-Cup-2011-c100625 World Twenty20 2012 (Group A) – Match Preview [Part 1]
In a classic case of giants versus minnows, with a massive fan following back home watching the national team’s every move, Afghanistan will be kick-starting their much-hyped ICC World Twenty20 2012 campaign with a match against India, to be played today
on September 19 at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
Among the more prominent and successful Associate/Affiliate members of the International Cricket Council, the Afghan team’s rise in the cricketing world has been an inspirational story, given the unrest in the war-ravaged country. However, despite the initial
hurdles, Afghanistan have gone on to emerge as a promising team in the making.
In addition to having earned ODI status which is valid until 2013, and having played one-days against top teams http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Afghanistan-c745 have done well in the T20 format of the game, having won 6 of the 11 matches they have played
in the format. Having qualified for the 2009-2010 edition of the World T20, the team went on to battle http://www.senore.com/Cricket/South-Africa-c757 and India, and while they lost both matches, the experience they gained was invaluable.
This year, Afghanistan goes into the mega event with a fair amount of build-up and match practice – in addition to having played Pakistan and Australia, the team won every match they played in the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier during March this year, save
the final against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Sri-Lanka-c758 A during the warm-up matches prior to this year’s World T20
(although they lost the second warm-up game against the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/West-Indies-c760 by 8 wickets).
Despite having drawn a tough pool for the group stages of the 2012 tournament (Afghanistan have been grouped with India and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/England-c56013), the team has everything to gain from this event, and the encounter against the Men in Blue provides a prime opportunity
to Afghanistan as they look to move upwards in the cricket hierarchy.
While most expect India to win, given the unpredictable nature of the T20 format, and the promising line-up the Afghan team has put together, the match could hold a fair few surprises and upheavals, à la David versus Goliath. The possibility, however slight,
that India might slip up against Afghanistan, lends an exciting edge to the match.
The Afghan team’s batting order boasts players such as veteran batsman http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Nawroz-Mangal-c2084.
Perhaps the most exciting batsman in the Afghan camp, however, is wicketkeeper http://www.senore.com/Cricket/MS-Dhoni-c2028. The team’s most successful batsman in the format, Shahzad holds the record for the highest individual T20 innings for
Afghanistan (77 against Ireland), and also has the most career runs in the format (312).
The bowling attack looks equally solid, led by leg-spinner http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Canada-c748.
All-rounder http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Mohammad-Nabi-c77111 has proved to be a reliable cog in the team, and medium-pacer Dawlat Zadran also looks to be in prime form, having claimed 3 for 22 against Sri Lanka A. However, Afghanistan will be going into the match without their leading wicket-taker
in the format, the team’s prime strike bowler http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Hamid-Hassan-c1524 (14 T20 wickets), who is out owing to injury.
Continued in Part 2 ...
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