Massive image – a large event for Nepal
Nepal are making their Asia Cup debut. They’re assembly Pakistan for the primary time in any format. It is a huge event for them, a day of celebration irrespective of how issues pan out on the sphere.
Having solely gained ODI standing in 2018, Nepal are actually ranked a tantalising fifteenth within the format, an indication of how shut they’re to attaining even larger goals on condition that the following ODI World Cup, in 2027, will function 14 groups.
Pakistan, in the meantime, are enjoying what’s prone to be one in every of simply two residence video games in a match they’re technically internet hosting. Such are the occasions we dwell in. Followers in Multan, then, can be properly suggested to courageous the temperatures (the forecast is for a most of 38-degrees Celsius) and catch this uncommon glimpse of their heroes.
Kind information
Pakistan WWWLW (final 5 accomplished ODIs, most up-to-date first)
Nepal LWLLW
Within the highlight
After years of being overdependent on their prime three, Pakistan are starting to place collectively a promising ODI center order, and numerous the credit score for this should go to Agha Salman, who has a 40-plus common and a 100-plus strike charge after his first 14 video games. He has been in a wealthy vein of type over current months – he adopted a wonderful residence ODI collection in opposition to New Zealand with aggressive Take a look at knocks of 83 and 132* on the tour of Sri Lanka, and he comes into the Asia Cup on the again of an important unbeaten 38 to finish an in any other case quiet collection in opposition to Afghanistan on a optimistic notice.
Group information
Pakistan have an issue of loads within the allrounder division, and will have to go away out Faheem Ashraf or Mohammad Nawaz – or each – in the event that they wish to slot in Mohammad Wasim, who took a four-wicket haul for Pakistan A in opposition to Nepal throughout the Rising Cup in July.
Pakistan (possible): 1 Fakhar Zaman, 2 Imam-ul-Haq, 3 Babar Azam (capt), 4 Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 5 Agha Salman, 6 Iftikhar Ahmed, 7 Shadab Khan, 8 Faheem Ashraf/Mohammad Nawaz/Mohammad Wasim, 9 Shaheen Shah Afridi, 10 Naseem Shah, 11 Haris Rauf
Nepal (possible): 1 Kushal Bhurtel, 2 Aasif Sheikh (wk), 3 Bhim Sharki, 4 Rohit Paudel (capt), 5 Kushal Malla, 6 Dipendra Singh Airee, 7 Gulsan Jha, 8 Sompal Kami, 9 Karan KC, 10 Sandeep Lamichhane, 11 Lalit Rajbanshi
Pitch and circumstances
Multan hosted all three ODIs throughout West Indies’ tour of Pakistan final 12 months. All three matches produced 250-plus first-innings scores, with Pakistan chasing down 306 within the first ODI. The highest-three wicket-takers in that collection have been Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan and Akeal Hosein, and if circumstances play equally, spinners can anticipate to play a big position once more. The climate is anticipated to be sizzling and dry, with temperatures reaching the excessive 30s (Celsius).
