Afghanistan vs Ireland ODI Series: January 26, 2021
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Ireland is taking a tour around the United Arab Emirates. They played a 4-match ODI series against the host country, UAE. Two matches were missed due to COVID-19 concerns, so the matches ended as a draw. Now, Ireland is preparing to take on Afghanistan’s cricket team in Abu Dhabi for a One Day International(ODI) match series.
The ODI match series is part of the 2020-23 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League. The third game of the ODI series is scheduled to be played on 26 January at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi. This is going to be a 50 overs per side match.
Both teams met in an unofficial match held on 16 January 2021 with Afghanistan winning with 23 runs in a 45-over-per-side in preparation for the ODI series. This match was Afghanistan’s first international match since March 2020. Their last game at the Noida, T20I, was also against Ireland. Ireland won that one, claiming the Super Over victory.
Other head-to-head stats of the teams show Ireland winning more matches, but with the heat Afghanistan brought to the cricket field for the warm-up match, anything can be expected on the match day. The following are the head-to-head stats of their previous matches:
Match Preview and Odds
Some members of the Afghanistan squad were playing in the Big Bash League held in Australia but had to leave to join their team for the ODI. New additions to the Ireland team are Josh Little, Shane Getkake (all-rounder) and Conor Olphert (net bowler).
Afghanistan’s Squad List
| Player | Role |
| Asghar Afghan (captain) | Middle-order batsman |
| Usman Ghani | Opening batsman |
| Hashmatullah Shahidi | Top-order batsman |
| Javed Ahmadi | Top-order batsman |
| Najibullah Zadran | Middle-order batsman |
| Rahmanullah Gurbaz | Wicket-keeper-batsman |
| Rashid Khan | Bowler |
| Mujeeb Ur Rahman | Bowler |
| Gulbadin Naib | Bowler |
| Naveen-ul-Haq | Bowler |
| Sayed Shirzad | Bowler |
| Yamin Ahmadzai | Bowler |
| Azmatullah Omarzai | All-rounder |
| Mohammad Nabi | All-rounder |
| Rahmat Shah | All-rounder |
| Sharafuddin Ashraf | All-rounder |
Ireland’s Squad List
| Player | Role |
| Andy Balbirnie (captain) | Batsman |
| Mark Adair | Bowling all-rounder |
| Curtis Campher | Bowling all-rounder |
| Simi Singh | Bowling all-rounder |
| Gareth Delany | Batting all-rounder |
| Paul Stirling | Batting all-rounder |
| Kevin O’Brien | Batting all-rounder |
| James McCollum | Opening batsman |
| Josh Little | Bowler |
| Andy McBrine | Bowler |
| Barry McCarthy | Bowler |
| Craig Young | Bowler |
| Neil Rock | Wicket-keeper-batsman |
| Lorcan Tucker | Wicket-keeper-batsman |
| Harry Tector | Middle-order batsman |
Prediction
Both teams are looking great in preparation for the World Cup. Judging by the history between the two teams, their performance in other leagues and the players’ skills on the ground, Afghanistan is a lot more likely to win this ODI match. Moreover, they came out on top in the unofficial warm-up match.
Summary
The third ODI match between Afghanistan and Ireland for the 2020-23 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League is one to look forward to. Place your bets on your favourite team at 4rabet and don’t forget to bet responsibly!
