Toss Ireland opt to bat v Afghanistan
Ireland won the toss in the series decider against Afghanistan at Belfast and opted to bat for the first time this tour. The hosts picked an unchanged side, while Afghanistan have left out Hazratullah Zazai – their top run-getter in the T20I series – for Ihsanullah, a right-handed top-order batsman, playing his 12th ODI. Paul Stirling, meanwhile is set to make his 100th ODI appearance for Ireland.
Ireland eked out their first win of the tour only two day ago, keeping the ODI leg alive. Tim Murtagh, who scythed through Afghanistan’s top-order with top-notch swing bowling and Andy Balbirnie, who chaperoned a tricky run-chase expertly even with wickets tumbling around him, played catalysts in the series-leveling win.
The spin threat, however, remains. The surfaces in Belfast have been painfully slow, and that has aided a strong Afghanistan spin attack. On Wednesday, six of the seven Irish wickets were shared by the trio of Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Mohammad Nabi. The result in the series-ender could again hinge on the outcome of this intriguing sub-plot: Afghanistan’s spinners versus Ireland’s batsmen.
Ireland: Paul Stirling, William Porterfield (capt), Andy Balbirnie, Niall O’Brien (wk), Kevin O’Brien, Simi Singh, Gary Wilson, Andy McBrine, Tim Murtagh, Boyd Rankin, Peter Chase
Afghanistan: Mohammad Shahzad (wk), Ihsanullah, Gulbadin Naib, Rahmat Shah, Najibullah Zadran, Asghar Afghan (capt), Hashmatullah Shahidi, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Aftab Alam, Mujeeb Ur Rahman
Source: ESPN Crickinfo