Australia will take on Pakistan in Match No. 18 of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 on Friday, October 20. As the two teams face off on the field of play, fantasy cricket managers will have the opportunity to pick their favorite players and form their teams. The players’ performance on the pitch will translate into points for each chosen fantasy team, and the manager with the team with the most points will have a chance to win attractive prizes.
After a forgettable start to the tournament, Australia picked up a much-needed win in their final match against Sri Lanka. The bowlers, who initially had a poor start in this match, managed to restrict the Lankan batters to just 209 runs in the first innings. Adam Zampa (4/47) did the damage with the ball, while Mitchell Marsh (52 off 51 balls) and Josh Inglis (58 off 59 balls) completed the chase.
Pakistan, on the other hand, is coming off a huge defeat against India. After beating the Netherlands and Sri Lanka in Hyderabad, the Men in Green were played out in Ahmedabad in the much-awaited match. The partnership of Babar Azam (50 off 58 balls) and Mohammad Rizwan (49 off 69 balls) in the first innings was the only positive in the seven-wicket defeat.
This is a crucial match for both teams as a defeat could see them catch up a little too early.
Probably playing XIs
Australia: Mitchell Marsh, David Warner, Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis (wk), Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins (c), Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood.
Pakistan: Abdullah Shafique, Imam ul Haq, Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Haris Rauf, Shaheen Afridi, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Nawaz
Weather conditions and location report
Historically, Bengaluru has been a great venue for batsmen and the average first innings total here is 232 in 38 ODIs. With its small size, it will probably only help hitters more. The weather conditions are pleasant for a game of cricket, with temperatures ranging from 19 to 31 degrees.
AUS vs PAK fantasy XI
Wicketkeepers: Mohammad Rizwan, Josh Inglis
Batters: David Warner, Steve Smith, Babar Azam, Abdullah Shafique, Saud Shakeel
All-rounders: Glenn Maxwell, Shadab Khan
Bowlers: Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Shaheen Afridi
There aren’t many differences between the two sides heading into this clash, but with Australia coming into this match with momentum, we’ve gone with six players from their team.
Mohammad Rizwan is the leading run-scorer in the tournament for Pakistan and the second highest overall. He has amassed 248 runs in three matches and is in great form. Josh Inglis scored a crucial tap-in in the last game and warrants selection.
David Warner isn’t off to a great start at the World Cup, but in 2023 he scored 455 points in 12 matches with a stellar strike rate of 110.43. Steve Smith scored a half-century besides 115 runs in the tournament so far and is in for a big blow. Babar Azam, the Pakistan skipper, scored his first fifty of the tournament and is joined by Saud Shakeel in our fantasy XI.
Among the all-rounders, Glenn Maxwell and Shadab Khan are the top contenders. Both are crucial players for their respective teams as they make great contributions with the bat and the ball.
Mitchell Starc has picked up five wickets in three matches so far, while Adam Zampa comes into this match on the back of a stellar performance. Shaheen Afridi is a good choice among Pakistani unit bowlers.
Captain: Mohammad Rizwan
Mohammad Rizwan was among the runners of this edition and so far he has a half century to go with the ton against Sri Lanka. His consistency makes him one of the best captain options in this match.
Vice Captain: David Warner
David Warner isn’t in the best form at this World Cup, but he was in good form in 2023. In the two bilateral matches before the World Cup against India and South Africa, the left-hander was great at the top of the rankings. .
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