Zimbabwe vs Afghanistan | Cricket Match Prediction | 1st ODI | Dec 17 – Can ZIM bounce back in this match? 

ZIM vs AFG Match Analysis

Harare Sports Club, Harare, will host the first ODI of a three-match ODI series between Zimbabwe and Afghanistan at 1:30 pm BST on December 17, 2024.

Zimbabwe will be eager to bounce back in this ODI series after losing the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan. Captain Craig Ervine will be hoping his team can deliver a strong performance with both bat and ball in the series opener.

Afghanistan will enter this ODI series with high confidence after securing a memorable series win over Zimbabwe in the T20s. Skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi will be hoping his team can maintain their winning momentum in this match.

In the 28 meetings between the two teams in the history of limited-overs cricket, Afghanistan has a definite lead with 18 wins to Zimbabwe’s ten.

ZIM vs AFG Team Preview & Squads

Zimbabwe 

Zimbabwe will rely on key players like Craig Ervine, Sikandar Raza, Sean Williams, Brian Bennett, Tadiwanashe Marumani, and Dion Myers to contribute the majority of the runs in the batting department.

Since January 2024, Craig Ervine has been the top run-scorer for ZIM in limited-overs cricket. In six matches, Ervine has scored 157 runs, including two half-centuries.

In the bowling department, Zimbabwe will count on Blessing Muzarabani, Richard Ngarava, Trevor Gwandu, Sikandar Raza, and Wellington Masakadza to provide crucial breakthroughs.

Since January 2024, pacer Richard Ngarava has led the bowling charts for Zimbabwe in limited-overs cricket. In six matches, Ngarava has taken 10 wickets at an economy rate of 4.80.

Zimbabwe Squads

Zimbabwe Squads

Craig Ervine, Ben Curran, Joylord Gumbie, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Dion Myers, Sean Williams, Brian Bennett, Sikandar Raza, Trevor Gwandu, Wellington Masakadza, Blessing Muzarabani, Richard Ngarava, Newman Nyamhuri, Victor Nyauchi, Tinotenda Maposa, and Tashinga Musekiwa.

Afghanistan

Afghanistan will rely on key players such as opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Sadiqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, and Mohammad Nabi to contribute significantly to the batting department.

Since January 2024, swashbuckling opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz has been at the top of the batting charts for Afghanistan in limited-overs cricket.

In the bowling department, Afghanistan will depend on Rashid Khan, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Nangeyalia Kharote, AM Ghanzafar, and Gulbadin Naib to provide essential breakthroughs.

With 12 wickets in six innings, off-spinner AM Ghanzafar is Afghanistan’s leading wicket-taker in limited-overs cricket this season.

Afghanistan Squads

Afghanistan Squads

Hashmatullah Shahidi, Abdul Malik, Darwish Rasooli, Ikram Ali Khil, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Azmatullah Omarzai, Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Nabi, Nangeyalia Kharote, Rashid Khan, Bilal Sami, Fareed Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, AM Ghazanfar, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, and Naveed Zadran.

Zimbabwe vs Afghanistan outfield report 

Harare Sports Club, Harare

The Harare Sports Club has proven to be an excellent location for chasing teams. Out of the 19 games played here, the team batting first has won 11 of them. In this series opener, both captains will be eager to win the toss and field first.

There will be light rain showers during the first half of the game, according to the weather forecast.

In ODIs played in Harare, the average first-inning score is about 230 runs.      

Zimbabwe vs Afghanistan Head-to-Head Stats of Last 5 Matches

In the last five games, Afghanistan won four of them and ZIM won one.

Zimbabwe vs Afghanistan Prediction

Cricket analysts predict Afghanistan has a 69% chance of winning.