Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe preview, 2nd T20I
Overview
Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium, Sharjah
Second T20I
Tuesday, 6 February 19:00 local time; 15:00 GMT
Before the first Twenty20 International against Zimbabwe, Afghanistan’s win percentage in the shortest format of the game was 63.93%, making them the most successful team in T20Is. Another convincing five-wicket win in the first game saw that go upto 64.5%, further illustrating the potential of the Afghanistan side.
Having won six out of six T20Is against Zimbabwe now, Afghanistan will be quietly confident of wrapping up the two-match series when the two sides face off in the second game on Tuesday (February 6).
Solomon Mire had handed Zimbabwe a quick start in the first game with a 21-ball 34 as the visiting side reached 52/1 at the end of the Powerplay. However, things unravelled rather quickly after that with the Afghanistan spinners, led by Rashid Khan, coming into their own on the Sharjah surface to restrict the score to 120/9.
Despite a spirited show by the Zimbabwe bowlers a target of 121 was never going to be a headache for the home side and an unbeaten 27-ball 40 by Mohammad Nabi ensured that Afghanistan reached the target with relative ease.
With less than 24 hours between the two games, Zimbabwe will have to come up with a plan and do that quickly in order to save the series. The batting frailties, especially against the spinners, will have to be addressed and Zimbabwe will bank on the experience of Hamilton Masakadza, Brendan Taylor and Sikandar Raza to shepherd the rest of the side, especially in the middle overs. Only two of their batsmen had a strike rate of above 100 in the first T20I, which is another thing Zimbabwe will be keen on rectifying.
As far as the bowling in concerned, with the track tilted in favour of the spinners, Zimbabwe might be tempted to bring in Tendai Chisoro in place of one of the medium pacers.
For Afghanistan, it will be a case of just building on the momentum. An added incentive for them will be will be that a win will help them climb to eighth position in the MRF Tyres ICC T20I Player Rankings ahead of Sri Lanka.
Key players
Mohammad Nabi (Afghanistan): One of the most experienced players in the game, Nabi has been the pivot around which the Afghanistan outfit has revolved for a while. He once again showed his class in the first T20I to get his team out of a slightly tricky situation with a good 40 not out and picked up a wicket in the only over he bowled. Awarded Player of the Match, Nabi will back himself to deliver the goods again, as he has done so often.
Brendan Taylor (Zimbabwe): Taylor hasn’t had a particularly good time since his return to the national setup after a two-year hiatus. He had a few starts in the recently concluded ODI tri-series, which involved Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, but hasn’t been able to convert them into anything substantial. But a player of Taylor’s class should come good sooner rather than later and Zimbabwe will be hoping that happens in the second T20I.
Conditions
With no gap between the two T20Is, it is highly unlikely that the surface will change a lot. There will be turn available for the spinners as was on show in the first match. The temperature is expected to be around 21 degrees and the humidity will once play its part.
Squads
Afghanistan: Asghar Stanikzai (capt), Mohammad Shahzad (wk), Usman Ghani, Karim Sadiq, Najibullah Zadran, Shafiqullah Shafaq, Samiullah Shinwari, Aftab Alam, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Zadran, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Hamid Hassan, Shapoor Zadran.
Zimbabwe: Graeme Cremer (capt), Hamilton Masakadza, Solomon Mire, Craig Ervine, Brendan Taylor (wk), Sikandar Raza, Peter Moor, Malcolm Waller, Brian Vitori, Tendai Chisoro, Blessing Muzarabani, Ryan Burl, Tendai Chatara, Kyle Jarvis.