New Zealand Cricket Fans Eagerly Await PNG’s Showdown with Afghanistan in Must-Win T20 World Cup Match
Tarouba, June 13, 2024 – New Zealand’s hopes of reaching the T20 World Cup 2024 Super Eight stage now hinge on Papua New Guinea (PNG) delivering a stunning upset against the in-form Afghanistan team.
Afghanistan have made an impressive start to their campaign, comfortably brushing aside Uganda in their opening fixture and then dealing a decisive blow to tournament favorites New Zealand. With two wins under their belt, the Afghan team is well-positioned to secure a Super Eight berth.
Much of Afghanistan’s success so far can be attributed to their dynamic opening pair of Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran. The duo has been devastating, adding 154 runs against Uganda and 103 against New Zealand, with Gurbaz scoring fifties in both matches. However, the middle order is yet to be fully tested, which could be a potential weakness against the determined PNG side.
PNG, still seeking their maiden win in the tournament, have shown tremendous fight in their opening games. Despite defending a modest total of 136 against West Indies, they had the opposition in trouble. In their next match, they made Uganda work hard to chase down a target of 78.
The sluggish nature of the Tarouba pitch could level the playing field, as PNG’s array of medium-pacers and spinners will look to exploit the conditions. Afghanistan’s skills, however, are well-suited to these types of surfaces.
“All eyes will be on PNG’s premier seamer, Norman Vanua, who missed the opening game but made a successful return against Uganda. His ability to make crucial breakthroughs will be crucial to PNG’s hopes of securing their first win of the tournament.”
Afghanistan (probable XI): 1 Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), 2 Ibrahim Zadran, 3 Azmatullah Omarzai, 4 Gulbadin Naib, 5 Najibullah Zadran, 6 Mohammad Nabi, 7 Karim Janat, 8 Rashid Khan (capt), 9 Noor Ahmad/Mujeeb Ur Rahman, 10 Naveen-ul-Haq, 11 Fazalhaq Farooqi
PNG (probable XI): 1 Assad Vala (capt), 2 Tony Ura, 3 Sese Bau, 4 Lega Siaka, 5 Hiri Hiri, 6 Charles Amini, 7 Kiplin Doriga (wk), 8 Chad Soper, 9 Norman Vanua, 10 Alei Nao, 11 John Kariko
With the forecast predicting rain, the captain winning the toss is likely to opt to bowl first to take advantage of the dew factor. The sluggish nature of the Tarouba pitch could make for an intriguing and closely contested encounter, as PNG seeks to pull off a shock victory and keep New Zealand’s Super Eight hopes alive.
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