AFG vs NED, Toss Update: van der Merwe, Zulfiqar Replace Shariz, Vikramjit As Netherlands Opt To Bat First; Noor In, Naveen Out For Afghanistan

Netherlands won the toss and elected to bat in the crucial match against Afghanistan at Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow. 

Netherlands have bolstered its bowling lineup with the inclusion of Saqib Zulfiqar and Roelof van der Merwe replacing Shariz Ahmad and Vikramjit Singh. Afghanistan, on the other hand, welcomes back Noor Ahmad for Naveen Ul Haq, who made a significant impact by taking three crucial wickets against Pakistan.

"We'll bat first. It has worked well for us. The wicket looks decent. Hopefully put on the runs and defend it. We have made one change. That's something we've spoken about, our top-order needs to make more runs. We've got Barresi coming up to the top and Vikramjit is missing out. We are still fighting for the spot in the semi-final. We have to play a lot of good cricket. As a group, that (Champions Trophy) is not something we are focusing on. That comes with potentially playing good cricket," Netherlands skipper Scott Edwards said after winning the toss.

ALSO READ: ODI World Cup 2023: Matt Henry Ruled Out, Kyle Jamieson Joins New Zealand Squad Ahead Of Crucial Game Against Pakistan

"We wanted to bat, but that doesn't matter. We need to play 100 overs of good cricket. It'll spin. We are trying to play good cricket. We are going with four spinners. Noor Ahmad is in for Naveen. A lot of support, in this WC, everyone's praying for us. We are happy for that. The focus will be on today's game," said Hashmatullah Shahidi after the toss. 

Afghanistan currently holds the sixth position in the Cricket World Cup standings with six points from three wins and as many losses. They have one game in hand compared to Pakistan, who also have six points.

Winning against Netherlands will bring Afghanistan level with New Zealand. However, the Netherlands, with notable victories over South Africa and Bangladesh, remain a competitive team.

ALSO READ: Cricket World Cup 2023: Semi-final Qualification Scenarios For Pakistan, Afghanistan, Australia, New Zealand | All You Need To Know

The clash between Afghanistan's run-chasing prowess and the Netherlands' defending skills adds an intriguing dimension to this encounter.

 

Playing XI: 

 

Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi(c), Azmatullah Omarzai, Ikram Alikhil(w), Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Noor Ahmad

Netherlands: Wesley Barresi, Max ODowd, Colin Ackermann, Sybrand Engelbrecht, Scott Edwards(w/c), Bas de Leede, Saqib Zulfiqar, Logan van Beek, Roelof van der Merwe, Aryan Dutt, Paul van Meekeren