World Cup 2019: Another uphill task for Afghanistan against England

Tags: Cricket World Cup 2019, England Vs Afghanistan,24th Match at Manchester,Jun 18, 2019, Afghanistan, England

Published on: Jun 18, 2019

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England will look to continue their golden run in World Cup 2019 when they face bottom-placed Afghanistan in match number 24 of World Cup 2019

England will look to continue their golden run in World Cup 2019 when they face bottom-placed Afghanistan in match number 24 of World Cup 2019 at Manchester. Following the shock loss to Pakistan, England has recovered in the manner they were expected to, with two crushing wins. As for Afghanistan, that they are finding the going tough would be an understatement.

England's recent wins against Bangladesh and West Indies have seen them cruise with Jason Roy and Joe Root making hundreds respectively. However, it is the fitness of their key players that is the major concern for the hosts. Both Eoin Morgan and Jason Roy left the field after sustaining injuries in the match against West Indies. And it has been confirmed that Roy will miss at least a couple of games due to injury.

With no Roy, James Vince is expected to get his World Cup debut. It will be a big moment for the man who has got ample chances at the international level but hasn't quite converted them. Then, there is also Jonny Bairstow, who has constantly got starts but has failed to convert those into big knocks. Their bowling was expected to be their weak link, which is why Jofra Archer's selection is a masterstroke. Ben Stokes to has impressed with the ball.

With all due credit to Afghanistan, it isn't surprising to see them at the bottom of the table. What they would be most disappointed with though is the lack of fight they have displayed, something which the site prides itself on. It was on display against Sri Lanka when they gave the former world champions a real scare. But, against South Africa, they crumbled to 125 all out, which was a total no show.

Skipper Gulbadin Naib will have to try and find some inspiration for the side. Their star player Rashid Khan has just not hit the kind of form desired from him. The all-rounder would desperately need to raise his game, especially with Mohammed Shahzad no longer part of the squad. The game is expected to be played under cloudy conditions so fans will again need to keep fingers crossed.

Squads

England: Eoin Morgan (c), Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler (wk), Tom Curran, Liam Dawson, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, James Vince, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.

Afghanistan: Gulbadin Naib (c), Noor Ali Zadran, Hazratullah Zazai, Rahmat Shah (wk), Asghar Afghan, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Najibullah Zadran, Samiullah Shinwari, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Dawlat Zadran, Aftab Alam, Hamid Hassan, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Ikram Ali Khil

-- By A Cricket Correspondent

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