[Match Thread] 4th ODI: Afghanistan v Zimbabwe

[zimbos_05]

It's like a broken record. Play with a straight bat. Don't play stupid shots. Pick the right team. Do this and that....

To think that it is a professional cricket team making these mistakes over and over and over. I would ban the sweep shot

[CrimsonAvenger]

We may have played our last World Cup.

That is a scary thought!

[zimfan1]

We may have played our last World Cup.

That is a scary thought!

Unless it is expanded back up to 14/16 teams I think we have.

[eugene]

Indeed. There is nothing to suggest we can challenge the top 8-10 teams regularly. I think Afghanistan are only going to continue to pull away.

[TapsC]

Afghanistan are pulling away but I would still love to see a test match between us. Rashid Khan would be deadly but I feel like most of their batsmen cant build an innings. Totally different ball game..

[Kriterion_BD]

Afghanistan are pulling away but I would still love to see a test match between us. Rashid Khan would be deadly but I feel like most of their batsmen cant build an innings. Totally different ball game..

I want to say the Afghans are better in the longer version. They have a few specialist batters for the format. But then again so do Zimbabwe. The issue is, has the ZIM team turned a corner with that fighting draw vs the Windies or will they resort to sweeping every other ball? The ZIM batsmen, barring that game vs the Windies have also proven they cannot build an innings, even on placid flat surfaces. Given that, at best, ZIM and AFG are on equal footing in terms of Test batting (I'd estimate AFG are slightly ahead in reality).

Assuming the most likely scenario which is both ZIM and AFG batsman failing to build innings, both teams might last an average of 70 overs per innings in hypothetical Test match. Given the strenght of the AFG bowling attack (primarily spin), I can see ZIM scoring at their average rate of 2.75 an over which gives a total of around 190 ish.

The Afghans too would bat for the same period of time. But with Shehzad and others, they'd likely score at 4 an over or close to it. Their average innings score would be around the 280 mark.

[TapsC]

Rashid Khan would probably be the difference in the end. I actually feel like Zim are the fall guys again. Just like when Bangladesh whitewashed us in 2014. That was the beginning of a golden era for them. Might just be the same for Afghanistan. I have no doubt that on their day they can beat teams like the West Indies or Sri Lanka or Bangladesh

[Kriterion_BD]

Rashid Khan would probably be the difference in the end. I actually feel like Zim are the fall guys again. Just like when Bangladesh whitewashed us in 2014. That was the beginning of a golden era for them. Might just be the same for Afghanistan. I have no doubt that on their day they can beat teams like the West Indies or Sri Lanka or Bangladesh

well the Afghans have already beaten BD in ODIs twice and have knocked the Windies over as well with all 3 wins being away.

Afgkanistan are well on their way to being another Bangladesh ie a team with considerable talent, a collective big mouth, an inexplicabable ability to lose to anyone, and a crazy fanbase. prolly why its so easy for me to back them lol.