It’s a battle between teams at opposite ends of the table as the Cricket World Cup hosts and favourites England lock horns with minnows Afghanistan at Old Trafford.
Eoin Morgan’s men are on song, having inflicted defeats on Bangladesh and West Indies in their last two games.
On the other hand, Afghanistan are still in search of their first win of the tournament, having suffered defeats against Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and most recently South Africa.
We take a look at the talking points ahead of the David v Goliath clash.
Conservative approach by England?
England are in a strong position after winning three of their first four games. But the hosts can’t afford to take their foot off the gas. After facing Afghanistan and Sri Lanka, they will have to test themselves against Australia, India and New Zealand in the span of nine days.
England will be hoping the injured Jason Roy and Morgan will be back to 100 per cent before they endure a tough run against the teams currently in the top three.
It will be interesting to see whether the hosts power through Afghanistan like they have been doing so far or adopt a conservative approach, reducing the risk of injuries in the process by resting key players. The tournament minnows have been woeful with the bat and this could be a risk worth taking.
Rashid Khan’s time to deliver
Afghan spinner Rashid Khan has failed to live up to the high standards he has set for himself. The 20-year-old has claimed just three wickets in the World Cup. To be fair to the youngster, he was injured in Afghanistan’s defeat to New Zealand and was hence unable to bowl in that game.
The long boundaries at Old Trafford could assist Rashid in his quest to produce a stand-out performance at the World Cup. With the English batting line-up slightly compromised due to the absence of Roy and with Morgan, the spinner could profit.
Will Rashid be the unlikely hero in this lop-sided clash?
The Archer express to run through Afghanistan
Archer could be key for England
The new ball in the hands of Jofra Archer is lethal, more so when the conditions are overcast and the batting line-up is yet to play out a full quota of 50 overs four games into the tournament.
A top-five leading wicket-taker at this World Cup, the Caribbean-born is fresh from a sensational performance against West Indies. The 24-year-old claimed three wickets in that game and was on a hat-trick at one point when he was cleaning up the tail.
Afghanistan must beware of his trademark short-pitched delivery right outside the off-stump and leaning towards the batsman. It’s logical to expect a bowler in good form to put on quite a show against the weakest batting line-up in the tournament. But if Afghanistan are not careful, it could get very embarrassing. A resilient show from Hazratullah Zarai and Noor Ali is the need of the hour.
