Gary Wilson smiled when he was asked about Ireland’s plan ahead of the T20 World Cup fixture against Afghanistan on Friday. The batting coach nodded his head and said, “Having played a lot against them over the last number of years, we have our plans…”
The Melbourne Cricket Ground witnessed history a day before as Ireland handed England a five-run shock defeat. The Irishmen got some downtime as they celebrated their success at the team hotel. But on Thursday morning, even as it rained relentlessly in Melbourne, the players were back at the indoor nets to prepare against a ‘familiar team’.
Ever since earning the Test status in 2018, Ireland and Afghanistan have played a maximum number of bilateral T20I series against each other, and of the 14 outings, the Afghans emerged winners on eight occasions.
So, Ireland has a clear idea about the mindset and the approach of its opponent. “We know Rashid (Khan) and Mujeeb (Zadran) very well, having played a lot against them over the last number of years. The pitch out there didn’t take a huge amount of spin (against England), and we hope that the ground will suit our play,” Wilson said.
After unsettling the England top-order with their pace, Ireland quicks, spearheaded by Josh Little, will be hoping to keep the momentum going against an Afghanistan side, which lacks depth in the batting department.
While it has two three powerful big-hitters in openers Hazratullah Zazai, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran at No.3, the middle-order has been inconsistent.
There are concerns over captain Mohammad Nabi’s form, too. In the Asia Cup, he scored 16 runs in four outings, while claiming just three wickets. Even in the Caribbean Premier League, he grabbed six wickets and contributed 36 runs with the bat for Jamaica Tallawahs. Though his unbeaten 41 and 51 in the warm-ups against Bangladesh and Pakistan had raised hope, against England in Perth, Nabi faltered again - scoring three runs and claiming a lone wicket.
But then against a familiar opponent, Afghanistan will be relying on its spin duo Rashid and Mujeeb to fire. Rashid skipped Thursday’s optional training at the Junction Oval, while Mujeeb bowled for a while at the indoor nets.
The Afghans are currently at the bottom of Group 1 with a defeat and a washout. But the team management believes that its spinners are capable of finding breakthroughs in any situation.
“Melbourne wicket will be more ideal for our spinners. The way Adil Rashid or Liam Livingston bowled against Ireland and got three wickets, it gives more confidence to our spinners. They are ready for any kind of pitches,” Afghanistan assistant coach Raees Ahmadzai said.
To the advantage of the Afghans, both Rashid and Nabi have experience of playing in Australia during the Big Bash League and a lot would depend on how they strategise.
After an incredible victory against England, Ireland needs to work on two aspects - fielding and middle-order.
The team dropped a couple of catches at crucial junctures against England and the team management promises an improved performance. The batting department, once again, will be spearheaded by captain Andrew Balbirnie (who was the mainstay with a 47-ball-62) and Lorcan Tucker. However, the side had lost its last nine wickets for 54 runs and against the Afghans, it must ensure that there’s no collapse in the middle-order.
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