Pakistan vs Afghanistan, ICC Cricket World Cup 2023: Fantasy XI Prediction, Top Picks For Captain

Pakistan lock horns with Afghanistan in match No. 22 of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Monday, October 23. As the two teams compete on the field, fantasy cricket managers have the opportunity to select their preferred players and assemble their teams. The players' on-field performance will directly convert into points for each fantasy team chosen, and the manager whose team accumulates the highest points will be in the running for enticing prizes.

Pakistan had a great start to their ODI World Cup campaign with wins over the Netherlands and Sri Lanka. However, the 1992 world champions bit the dust against the likes of formidable India and Australia.

Afghanistan registered a historic win over England but offered little challenge to Bangladesh, India and New Zealand in their other three matches.

Both Afghanistan and Pakistan will need to win to keep their World Cup campaign on track.

Mohammad Rizwan has been the pillar with the bat for Pakistan in the middle-order and was the top-scorer after each team in the World Cup played four matches. His 294 runs have come at an average of 98 and a strike rate of over 96. Imam-ul-Haq and Abdullah Shafique have also been among the runs while Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf have led the bowling attack for Pakistan.

Afghanistan, meanwhile, will pin their hopes on openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran to provide a solid start upfront. Rashid Khan will look to exploit the spin-friendly track at Chepauk and notch up another impressive spell.

Weather conditions and pitch report

The conditions in Chennai are usually hot and humid and Monday seems to be no different. The pitch at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk is notably sluggish, making it highly favourable for spin bowlers who receive substantial assistance.

Additionally, batters can also benefit from the conditions of this pitch if they spend some time in the middle. If a team wins the toss at this venue, they might lean towards choosing to bat first. Historically, the typical first-innings score on this pitch has been around 240 runs.

PAK vs AFG fantasy XI

Wicket-keepers: Mohammad Rizwan

Batters: Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq

All-rounders: Mohammad Nabi, Iftikhar Ahmed

Bowlers: Shaheen Afridi, Hasan Ali, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Rashid Khan

Mohammad Rizwan has been the most consistent batter for Pakistan this year. In this ODI World Cup, Mohammad Rizwan scored a match-winning hundred against Sri Lanka and also played fighting knocks against India and Australia. He has earned good fantasy points and is the best choice for the wicket-keeper spot in your fantasy team.

Among the batters, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq and Hashmatullah Shahidi are the best options as they have been among the runs in the last four matches.

In the all-rounder category, Afghanistan's Mohammad Nabi and Pakistan's Iftikhar Ahmed are proven performers. Both the right-arm spinners bowled decent spells and have also taken wickets.

Pakistan speedster Shaheen Afridi is among the top five wicket-takers in this ODI World Cup after four matches and will pose a tough challenge to Afghanistan's batting order. Pakistan's Hasan Ali and Afghanistan's Fazalhaq Farooqi are known for their variations and are also likely to be among the wickets on a pitch that offers good value for variations.

Rashid Khan has been Afghanistan's star performer and will look to come good on a spin-friendly track at Chepauk.

The other bowlers to choose from will be Pakistan's Haris Rauf and Afghanistan's Naveen-ul-Haq.

Captain: Mohammad Rizwan

Mohammad Rizwan is a big match player and with Pakistan's back against the wall after two successive defeats, expect him to rise to the occasion. With the kind of touch Mohammad Rizwan has shown, he is a perfect candidate for the captain's spot in your dream team.

Vice-captain: Rashid Khan

Rashid Khan has plenty of experience playing in Indian conditions while Pakistan lack a lot on that front. He is a wily operator and expect him to trouble Pakistan's batting order.

Topics mentioned in this article

Pakistan Cricket Team Afghanistan Mohammad Rizwan Rashid Khan World Cup 2023 Pakistan vs Afghanistan, Match 22 Cricket