Afghanistan v Scotland Preview, Match 17, Dunedin

For both these teams, Thursday’s game is a huge one. There are two points up for grabs here. And those points will keep a dream alive.

When you think about it, in some ways, every time Associate nations take the field in this World Cup, they are living out a dream. This is something others might forget, but the players are acutely aware of the responsibility they bear. No quarter will be given, nor asked for. The battle will be fierce.

Teams (likely):

Scotland: Kyle Coetzer, Calum McLeod, Freddie Coleman, Matt Machan, Preston Mommsen (capt), Richie Berrington, Mathew Cross (wk), Josh Davey, Alasdair Evans, Majid Haq, Iain Wardlaw.

Afghanistan: Javed Ahmadi, Nawroz Mangal, Asghar Stanikzai, Samiullah Shenwari, Mohammad Nabi (capt), Najibullah Zadran, Afsar Zazai (wk), Aftab Alam, Dawlat Zadran, Hamid Hassan, Shapoor Zadran.