The Group 1 encounter between England and Afghanistan is a crucial match for England as they look to boost their chances to qualify for the semi-finals. In their second match of the tournament, England fought back from the first match disappointment to record the best World T20 chase of all time against South Africa.
Also read: India vs Bangladesh, ICC T20 World Cup: Match Prediction, Weather Forecast, Pitch Report
Afghanistan, on the other hand, will be looking to win their first match of the tournament proper after having come close to winning their two games against Sri Lanka and South Africa. Afghanistan has come a long way since first becoming an associate member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) and has come up with performances that have voiced opinions to allow associate nations to continue playing in ICC tournaments.
Also read: India vs Bangladesh Head to Head in T20Is, Match Records and Facts
The match is set to be the first match to be played at the Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi and it will be interesting to see what pitch the curator comes up with. Spin has been a vital part of the World T20 so far, with most tracks offering some assistance.
England v Afghanistan 2016 LIVE Streaming Details
TV Channel: Star Sports 1, HD1 (English) and 3, HD3 (Hindi)
Online Stream: www.starsports.com, Hotstar App
Match Date: 23 March 2016, Wednesday
Match Time: 15.00 IST, 09.30 GMT
Match Venue: Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium, Delhi
Team News
England team
England has had a good run with the bat so far in the tournament having scored 180-plus in both the matches. However, they will need to work on their bowling if they are to a restrict a confident Afghan batting line-up. Joe Root's form will be a huge plus for England. With Alex Hales, likely to miss out due to a back injury, James Vince might take his place in the playing XI.
In the only previous meeting between the sides, England trounced Afghanistan. However, England can expect a stiffer challenge from the current Afghan XI and cannot take the Associates lightly.
Afghanistan team
Afghanistan will be looking to win their first win of the Super 10 stage after having come close to defeating South Africa in their second match.
Mohammad Shahzad's quick starts at the beginning of the innings will be key to Afghanistan's quest for success. With nothing to lose, cricket fans can expect fireworks from Afghanistan. Depending on how good the pitch is for spinners, Afghanistan will choose between Amir Hamza and Hamid Hassan.
Teams (Predicted XI)
England Squad
Jason Roy, James Vince, Joe Root, Jos Buttler (Wk), Eoin Morgan (C), Ben Stokes, Moeen Ali, Chris Jordan, David Willey, Adil Rashid, Liam Plunkett.
Afghanistan Squad
Mohammad Shahzad (Wk), Noor Ali Zadran, Asghar Stanikzai (C), Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Samiullah Shenwari, Najibullah Zadran, Rashid Khan, Dawlat Zadran, Amir Hamza, Shapoor Zadran.
Recent Form
England: W-L-L-L-W
Afghanistan: L-L-W-W-W
Match Prediction
England to win
Key Stats: Eng vs Afg
- England won the only match that they played against Afghanistan, defeating them by 116 runs in the ICC World T20 2012.
- England lost their previous encounter against an Associate Nation when they lost against Netherlands in the 2014 World T20.
- Mohammad Shahzad is the second highest run-getter in the World T20 so far, having scored 194 runs in 5 innings
- Joe Root is the third highest run-getter in the World T20 so far, scoring 131 runs in 2 innings.
- Mohammad Nabi and Rashid Khan are third and fourth on the list of highest wicket-takers in the World T20 so far with 8 and 7 wickets respectively.
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