Last Updated on 4 weeks by Charbel Coorey

IRE vs AFG 1st T20 Dream11 Prediction & Fan2Play Possible 11 Pitch Report | IRE vs AFG 1st T20 Dream11 Prediction Today | Belfast Pitch Report

For the first time since early 2020, Ireland and Afghanistan will meet in a T20 International. Both teams are familiar with each other having met 18 times in this format, with Afghanistan looking to build on their excellent 14 wins thus far.

However, they will have to hit their straps right away. Afghanistan have played just three T20Is in the past five months, having swept Zimbabwe 3-0 in June. Ireland, on the other hand, have played India, New Zealand and South Africa in the span of six weeks. While they lost all seven of those T20Is, the experience and learnings they would have taken from those matches is invaluable.

Nonetheless, the Irish really need to turn promising performances into victories in a T20 World Cup year. Afghanistan’s spinners all have strong records against them, so improving how they play spin will be important to their chances here. For Afghanistan, this five-match series represents crucial game time as they aim to put a big challenge in this year’s World Cup.

IRE vs AFG 1st T20 Possible Playing XI

Ireland: 1. Paul Stirling, 2. Andy Balbirnie (c), 3. Lorcan Tucker (wk), 4. Harry Tector, 5. Gareth Delany, 6. George Dockrell, 7. Curtis Campher, 8. Mark Adair, 9. Andy McBrine, 10. Barry McCarthy, 11. Josh Little

Mujeeb ur Rahman left for Ireland on August 6 after his Visa was sorted. It remains to be seen if he is ready for this match.

Afghanistan could look to play Ibrahim Zadran at the top of the order. In the 2022 Shpageeza Cricket League, Ibrahim scored 318 runs at an average of 53.00 and strike rate of 148.59.

Afghanistan: 1. Hazratullah Zazai, 2. Ibrahim Zadran, 3. Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), 4. Najibullah Zadran, 5. Hashmatullah Shahidi, 6. Mohammad Nabi (c), 7. Karim Janat, 8. Rashid Khan, 9. Naveen-ul-Haq, 10. Mujeeb ur Rahman/Fareed Ahmad, 11. Fazalhaq Farooqi

Key Players to Watch/Key Stats

Ireland:

• Paul Stirling has the most runs in IRE-AFG T20Is (543) at an average of 31.94 and strike rate of 144.80. Stirling also has the most runs in T20Is at Belfast (188), but will be seeking to improve on his average (18.80) and strike rate (116.04).
• Harry Tector has scored just 70 runs in his last five T20Is. This is a good opportunity to bounce back as he played well vs Afghanistan in 2020 with scores of 29*, 37 and 31 at a strike rate of 142.64.
• Lorcan Tucker recently scored 78 off 38 balls vs South Africa. He has a poor record vs Afghanistan (7 inns, 69 runs, avg. 9.85, SR 106.15), but recent form and time up the order can work wonders.
• Can Josh Little improve on his poor bowling numbers vs Afghanistan? Between 2017 and 2020, Little took six wickets in nine such matches at an average of 51.83 and economy rate of 9.52.
• However, Little has an excellent record in T20Is at Belfast: 4 inns, 9 wickets, avg. 15.66, SR 10.6.
• This is set to be Mark Adair’s first T20I against Afghanistan. The seamer has four wickets in five T20Is on this ground at an average of 42.50 and economy of 28.5.

Afghanistan:

• Hazratullah Zazai has caused Ireland pain in the past, including his wonderful 162* in 2019. Overall, he has belted 411 runs in seven T20Is vs Ireland at an average of 68.50 and strike rate of 186.81.
• Zazai has smashed 79 off 40 balls without dismissal against Josh Little in T20Is.
• The duo of Hashmatullah Shahidi and Najibullah Zadran come into this match in great form. In the 2022 Shpageeza Cricket League, Shahidi scored 411 runs in nine matches (avg. 58.71, SR 136.09) and Zadran scored 397 runs in ten matches (avg. 56.71, SR 163.37).
• Mohammad Nabi has strong all-round numbers against Ireland. In 18 matches, he has smashed 399 runs at an average of 33.25 and strike rate of 183.02, along with 15 wickets at an average of 28.66 and strike rate of 21.4.
• Rashid Khan easily has the most wickets in IRE-AFG T20Is. The brilliant legspinner has a massive 34 wickets in 13 T20Is at an average of 8.26 and economy rate of 5.97.
• Rashid has great numbers against Ireland’s top order. He has dismissed Andy Balbirnie four times in 32 balls (26 runs), Stirling once in eight balls (seven runs) and Lorcan Tucker four times in 22 balls (17 runs).
• Seamer Naveen-ul-Haq took the second-most wickets in the recent Vitality T20 blast, with 24 scalps in 14 matches for Leicestershire.

Other Stats and Facts

• Head-to-head: Matches 18, Ireland 4, Afghanistan 14.
• Mujeeb ur Rahman vs Paul Stirling in T20Is: 41 balls bowled, 46 runs conceded, two dismissals.
• Rashid Khan has taken seven wickets in two T20Is against Ireland in Ireland.
• Fazalhaq Farooqi took nine wickets in six white-ball internationals against Zimbabwe earlier this year.
• Andy Balbirnie in T20Is vs Afghanistan: 8 inns, 146 runs, avg. 18.25, SR 121.66.
• Rahmanullah Gurbaz in the 2022 Shpageeza Cricket League: 9 inns, 342 runs, avg. 48.85, SR 181.91.

Civil Service Cricket Club Stormont Belfast Pitch Report and Weather

A pleasant day, with a top of about 25 degrees, is forecast for Belfast on Tuesday. Last month, New Zealand won comfortably twice after making scores of 173/8 and 179/4. The surface was a touch two-paced in both matches, but overall conditions were relatively steady for batting.

IRE vs AFG 1st T20 Dream11 Prediction August 9 2022

Note: The below teams are not based on the final playing XIs. We may not be able to update these in time. Use the stats and commentary in this article as well as your own instincts to create your teams.

Option 1:

Option 2:

Fan2Play Prediction

Base Team:

• Wicket-Keepers: Rahmanullah Gurbaz
• Batsmen: Hazratullah Zazai, Paul Stirling, Najibullah Zadran
• All-Rounders: Mohammad Nabi
• Bowlers: Josh Little, Rashid Khan

IRE vs AFG 1st T20 Match Prediction: Who will win?

Afghanistan has a terrific record against Ireland. They should win this match.