Toss Afghanistan opt to bat vs Zimbabwe

Afghanistan captain Rahmat Shah won the toss and opted to bat first against Zimbabwe in the second match of the ODI tri-series in Abu Dhabi.

Zimbabwe have had to make two changes. Sikandar Raza said that injuries forced Craig Ervine and Newman Nyamhuri to sit out this game, with middle-order batter Ryan Burl and medium-pacer Ernest Masuku taking their places respective. Ervine scored the match-winning 93 in the first game against Bangladesh, while Nyamhuri picked up a wicket.

Afghanistan have gone for three seamers in Ziaur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi and Azmatullah Omarzai, who can chip in with the bat too.

Raza said that they have figured out a little bit more about the Abu Dhabi conditions, especially what they have to do when bowling first.

Afghanistan have almost all of their first-choice players in the playing XI, including Sediqullah Atal, who made a fourth-innings century in Afghanistan’s one-off Test against Bangladesh which ended up in a thrilling draw.

Focus will also be on Rashid Khan, who is returning to action after being rested for the Test against Bangladesh.

Afghanistan: 1 Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), 2 Ibrahim Zadran, 3 Sediqullah Atal, 4 Rahmat Shah (capt), 5 Hashmatullah Shahidi, 6 Azmatullah Omarzai, 7 Mohammad Nabi, 8 Rashid Khan, 9 AM Ghazanfar, 10 Ziaur Rahman, 11 Fazalhaq Farooqi

Zimbabwe: 1 Brian Bennett, 2 Ben Curran, 3 Tafadzwa Tsiga, 4 Brendan Taylor (wk), 5 Sikandar Raza (capt), 6 Ryan Burl, 7 Wessley Madhevere, 8 Brad Evans, 9 Wellington Masakadza, 10 Ernest Masuku, 11 Blessing Muzarabani