ICC U19 World Cup 2020: Group D, Match 1: South Africa Under-19s vs Afghanistan Under-19s: Dream11 Fantasy Cricket Tips – Playing XI, Pitch Report & Injury Update

Match Details:

The 1st match of the 2020 ICC Under-19s World Cup in Group D will be played between South Africa Under-19s and Afghanistan Under-19s at the Diamond Oval in Kimberley.

The match starts at 10:00 AM local time (1:30 PM IST) (8:00 AM GMT)

This game can be viewed on Star Sports 3 in India. Live streaming available on Hotstar.

Preview:

The 2020 Under-19s World Cup will kick start on Friday when the hosts South Africa Under-19s will face the Afghanistan Under-19s in the Group D match. The Proteas U19s have some tough moments going into the tournament having lost 11 of their last 13 home Youth ODIs. The South Africans were also defeated in the warm-up game against Sri Lanka. Afghanistan, on the other hand, is fresh of a comfortable win against England in the warm-up match. The Indian bowling exploited their weaknesses in the batting by bundling them out for only 44.

Weather Condition/Report:

High temperatures are expected to be recorded at the Diamond Oval on Friday for the tournament opener between South Africa and Afghanistan.

Pitch Condition/Report:

Kimberley’s Diamond Oval hosted two Youth ODIs which were during the 1998 U19 CWC in South Africa. The recent most matches hosted by the venue were the 50-over Provisional competition. The first batting team got 250+ regularly and the chasing team did perform equally well. Hence, we could witness good totals in the tournament opener.

Average first innings score: N/A (Youth ODIs since 2010)

Record of chasing teams: N/A

Team News:

(Will be added when there is an update)

Probable Playing XIs:

South Africa Under-19s:

Bryce Parsons (C), Andrew Louw, Jonathan Bird, Luke Beaufort (WK), Jack Lees, Pheko Moletsane, Tiaan van Vuuren, Gerald Coetzee, Achille Cloete, Merrick Brett, Mondli Khumalo.

Bench – Tyrese Karelse, Khanya Cotani, Manje Levert, Odirile Modimokoane.

Afghanistan Under-19s:

Farhan Zakhil (C), Imran Mir, Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmanullah Zadran, Asif Musazai, Abid Mohammadi, Abdul Rahman, Mohammadi Ishaq (WK), Shafiqullah Ghafari, Noor Ahmad, Fazal Haq.

Bench – Sediq Atal, Abid Taniwal, Zohaib Zamankhil, Jamshid Mir Alikhil.

Top Picks:

Johnathan Bird has been consistent in Youth ODIs as he aggregated 756 runs across 15 innings in at an average of 58.15. Bird struck three hundreds and three fifties this format thus far. Abid Mohammadi is yet to make an impact with the bat while playing for Afghanistan U19s. However, with the ball, Mohammadi has done an excellent job by claiming 14 wickets across 8 innings in Youth ODIs.

Noor Ahmad will be a surprise package for the Afghans as the young left-arm wrist spinner bagged 15 wickets from only 7 Youth ODIs. The SA skipper Bryce Parsons could well be the top-performer of the match due to his all-round skills. Parsons aggregated 439 runs at an average of 36.58 across 13 Youth ODIs where he also picked up 12 wickets.

Captain and Vice-Captain Selection:

Captain – Bryce Parsons, Abid Mohammadi, Jonathan Bird

Vice-Captain – Divyaansh Saxena, Ibrahim Zadran, Abdul Rahman

Suggested Playing XI No.1 for Fantasy Cricket:

Keeper – Luke Beaufort

Batters – Farhan Zakhil, Ibrahim Zadran (VC), Jonathan Bird

All-Rounders – Bryce Parsons (C), Abid Mohammadi, Abdul Rahman, Tiaan van Vuuren

Bowlers – Gerald Coetzee, Achille Cloete, Noor Ahmad

Suggested Playing XI No.2 for Fantasy Cricket:

Keeper – Mohammadi Ishaq

Batters – Andrew Louw, Jonathan Bird (VC), Ibrahim Zadran

All-Rounders – Bryce Parsons, Shafiqullah Ghafari, Abdul Rahman, Abid Mohammadi (C)

Bowlers – Gerald Coetzee, Mondli Khumalo, Noor Ahmad

Expert Advice:

There is a possibility of the South Africa U19s dropping their vice-captain Khanya Cotani if we consider performances ahead of the tournament. Luke Beaufort is likely to keep wickets in his absence allowing an extra all-rounder getting picked in the XI.

Probable Winners:

Afghanistan Under-19s have got enough depth in their line-up to get better of the home team.

*Disclaimer: This team is based on the understanding, analysis and instinct of the author. While selecting your team, consider the points mentioned and make your own decision.