Afghanistan vs West Indies, ICC Cricket World Cup 2019, Today Match Prediction 04 Jul 2019

afg vs windies Match Prediction & Analysis

The 42nd game of ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 will see Afghanistan take on West Indies at Headingley Cricket Stadium in Leeds on Thursday.

Both the teams will be looking to end their World Cup campaign on a positive note. Afghanistan will rue the fact that they should have won their games against India and Pakistan. Captain Gulbadin Naib will be pleased that his side has played competitive cricket in this World Cup.

On the other hand, West Indies will be hoping that they can put in a better performance with the bat and ball in this dead rubber. Captain Jason Holder would want the side to end their World Cup campaign with a consolation win over Afghanistan.

TEAMS PREVIEW

Afghanistan Preview

Gulbadin Naib-led unit will be looking to make amends for their mistakes made in the previous game. The side made a lot of crucial errors to see Pakistan come out on top in a thriller played at Headingley in Leeds. Afghanistan will need to improve their game with the bat in order to challenge a side like West Indies.

Afghanistan came up short in their game against Pakistan, as pace bowler sustained a hamstring injury at the start of Pakistan innings. There seems to be over-reliance on the likes of Rahmat Shah, Gulbadin Naib and Hashmatullah Shahidi to do the bulk of the scoring for Afghanistan.

Asghar Afghan showed good form with the bat in the last match and scored crucial runs for the side against Pakistan. He scored 42 runs off 35 balls with the help of three fours and two sixes to help his side post a competitive score, whereas lower- batsman Najibullah Zadran top scored with 42 runs off 54 balls.

All-rounder Mohammad Nabi is proven to be seasoned campaigner for Afghanistan, and he needs to keep momentum in the final game of the World Cup. Nabi has not done that much with the bat in this competition. 

Fast-bowler Gulbadin Naib has shown decent form with the ball in this World Cup with 8 wickets to his name. Off-spinner Mohammad Nabi has been a standout performer for the side in this tournament with an economy rate of 4.45. Mohammad Nabi and Mujeeb ur Rahman were exceptional with the ball for Afghanistan in their previous game played against Pakistan. The duo bowled well and picked up four wickets between them.

Afghanistan Predicted Playing XI:

Gulbadin Naib (captain), Ikram Al Khil (wk), Samiullah Shinwari, Asghar Afghan, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Aftab Alam/Dawlat Zadran

Afghanistan Actual Playing XI:

Ikram Ali Khil, Asghar Afghan, Gulbadin Naib, Dawlat Zadran, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Sayed Shirzad, Samiullah Shenwari, N Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Rahmat Shah

West Indies Preview

On the other hand, West Indies have been a sheer disappointment in this World Cup. Being tagged as one of the sides who can certainly go the distance, West Indies failed to produce consistent performances with bat and ball in the competition.  

Since their win against Pakistan in at Trent Bridge, West Indies were knockout out of the competition after losing six games on the trot. Captain Jason Holder will be hoping that the side can raise their game with bat and ball to earn a consolation win at Leeds.

Veteran opener Chris Gayle has not delivered with the bat in this World Cup. Left-hander has only scored 235 runs in 7 matches at an average of 33.57. Gayle will be looking to deliver a big score with the bat in this final game.

Wicket-keeper Shai Hope has also been a big letdown for West Indies in this World Cup. He has struggled to deliver consistent scores for the side in this competition. Hope will be keen to deliver runs with the bat in this final game against Afghanistan.

Middle-order batsman Nicholas Pooran has been a standout performer with the bat in this competition. He is currently the leading run scorer with 309 runs in 7 matches at an average of 51.50. Pooran smashed a splendid century to see West Indies take the game down to the wire against Sri Lanka. He scored 118 off 103 balls with the help of 11 fours and 4 sixes.

Lower-order batsman Fabian Allen also chipped in with a crucial half-century against Sri Lanka. He scored 51 off 32 balls with the help of six fours and a six.

West Indies Predicted Playing XI:

Jason Holder (captain), Shai Hope (wk), Sheldon Cottrell, Chris Gayle, Kemar Roach, Sunil Ambris Ashley Nurse, Carlos Brathwaite, Nicholas Pooran, Shimron Hetmyer, Fabian Allen

West Indies Actual Playing XI:

Kemar Roach, Carlos Brathwaite, Nicholas Pooran, Oshane Thomas, Jason Holder, Sheldon Cottrell, Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope, Evin Lewis, Fabian Allen, Chris Gayle

Weather Conditions

The wicket prepared for the game will certainly assist the spinners. The batsman will need to work hard for their runs. The weather conditions for the game to be played on Thursday is going to be sunny intervals with a moderate breeze.

Venue

Headingley Cricket Ground in Leeds is going to host its third World Cup game between Afghanistan and West Indies. The average score in the previous two games has been around 230 runs. Afghanistan and West Indies will be facing each other for the first time in a World Cup game.

Toss: To Bat

Both the sides will be looking to win the toss and bat first on the dry surface at Leeds. Batting last on the wicket won’t be easy as spinner will get more assistance from the pitch.