On Saturday evening, Afghanistan and Australia will face off in a crucial T20 World Cup Super Eights fixture at the Arnos Vale Ground in Kingstown, St Vincent.
AFG vs AUS: Live score and ball-by-ball commentary
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Today's T20 World Cup match preview
Afghanistan v Australia, Super Eights
Where: Arnos Vale Ground, Kingstown, St Vincent
When: June 22, 08.30pm local time
The last time Afghanistan and Australia met in a World Cup, it was an unforgettable match. Glenn Maxwell's 201* in Mumbai has been etched into the minds of all those who witnessed it, and he will be looking to help his side pull off a sixth win in a row at this T20 World Cup. Despite those heroics, it is important to remember that the reason they were needed in the first place is because this Afghanistan unit are not pushovers by any means.
Afghanistan breezed through their first three matches, but have just lost a bit of steam after taking a hammering against West Indies before putting in a relatively meek performance against India. It doesn't get any easier against Australia, but this side is not short on belief. Spin twins Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmad will be crucial, and Rahmanullah Gurbaz still possesses the ability to take games away from opposition sides in a flash. A win here for Afghanistan could really set the cat amongst the pigeons in the group, with India v Australia still to come.
T20 World Cup results: Who won yesterday's match?
South Africa v England: South Africa won by 7 runs
United States v West Indies: West Indies won by 9 wickets with 55 balls remaining
AFG vs AUS: Who are the key players?
Rashid Khan
Like he is in most T20 matches, Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan will be integral if Afghanistan are to turn over an Australian side that has a perfect record so far. The pitch in Kingstown has taken significant spin in the night matches, making him even more potent. Against India, Rashid seemed back to his best as he prised out the wickets of Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant and Shivam Dube in a miserly spell. A repeat performance, and Australia could be tied up.
Glenn Maxwell
Glenn Maxwell is Australia's designated spin hitter in the middle overs, and with Afghanistan likely to deploy at least three spin options in Rashid, Noor Ahmad and Mohammad Nabi, he will hold the key in that phase of the game. Of course, there is also the matter of that double hundred he scored against this opposition barely six months ago. Maxwell will also be key with the ball as the support spinner to Adam Zampa.
AFG vs AUS team news
Afghanistan
There are no new injury concerns for Afghanistan. In terms of team combination, they are unlikely to change anything but a turning wicket could prompt them to consider left-arm orthodox all-rounder Nangeyalia Kharote, perhaps in place of a batter. But throwing him in the deep end against a behemoth like Australia could be ill-advised.
Australia
As far as Australia are concerned, the only change they might consider is getting Ashton Agar in for one of the three seamers on a turning track. The batting lineup is expected to stay the same, as their batters got a nice rest against Bangladesh, with the match getting called off midway through their turn with the bat.
AFG vs AUS: Predicted playing 11
Afghanistan
Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Hazratullah Zazai, Ibrahim Zadran, Gulbadin Naib, Azmatullah Omarzai, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan (c), Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Noor Ahmad.
Australia
Travis Head, David Warner, Mitchell Marsh (c), Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Tim David, Matthew Wade (wk), Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood.
Pitch report and ground conditions
A picturesque stadium, the straight boundaries at the Arnos Vale Ground are roughly 70 metres long. The square boundaries are relatively short, measuring roughly between 60-65 metres. This is offset somewhat by the nature of the wicket, which has offered significant turn, especially in the night matches so far. In addition, as with several Caribbean venues, the wind direction will have to be taken into account by both sides.
Team form (Most recent first)
Afghanistan: LLWWW
Australia: WWWWW
Odds and match prediction
According to Dafabet, Australia are favourites to win this match.
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