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Australia v Afghanistan: All you need to know

Plenty at stake for both sides in a rare meeting between Australia and Afghanistan

Semi-final spots on the line! Afghanistan can do their chances of featuring in the knockouts a world of good by claiming another scalp, having already defeated England, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. However, Australia are running hot at the moment with five wins under their belt and will start firm favourites.  

Match facts

Who: Australia v Afghanistan 

When: Tuesday November 7. Coin toss at 7:00pm AEDT, first ball at 7:30pm AEDT (2:00pm local) 

Where: Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai  

How to watch: Fox Cricket, Kayo Sports and Nine (starts on GEM in Brisbane, Perth)

Officials: Michael Gough and Alex Wharf (standing), Chris Gaffaney (third), Shahid Saikat (fourth) 

Live scores: Match Centre

Highlights, news and reactions after the match: cricket.com.au, the CA Live app, the Unplayable Podcast 

The Squads

Australia: Pat Cummins (c), Sean Abbott, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa 

 

Afghanistan: Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Riaz Hassan, Rahmat Shah, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Ikram Alikhil, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Abdul Rahman, Naveen-ul-Haq

Australia could have their full 15 to pick from for the first time this tournament, assuming Steve Smith is cleared to play despite experiencing symptoms of vertigo during the week. Mitch Marsh is back from Perth and Glenn Maxwell is on track to return from concussion.  

Local knowledge

The Wankhede Stadium is one of the most famous Indian grounds with a history of hosting World Cup and Indian Premier League finals. Named after the politician who commissioned its construction, this ground has seen more than its fair share of high-scoring matches.

Australia played here earlier in the year, losing to India by five wickets despite Mitch Marsh's 81 and Mitch Starc's 3-49.  

There have been no shortage of runs in the three matches held here in this tournament, with scores of 7-399, 5-382 and 8-357 in the first-innings scores so far.          

Although it hosted the 2011 World Cup final, it has been demoted to hosting the first semi-final this time around. 

Probable Starting XIs 

Australia: David Warner, Travis Head, Mitch Marsh, Steve Smith, Josh Inglis (wk), Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Mitch Starc, Pat Cummins (c), Josh Hazlewood, Adam Zampa  

 

Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hasmatullah Shahidi (c), Azmatullah Omarzai, Ikram Alikhil (wk), Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Naveen-ul-Haq 

If Marsh and Maxwell can come straight back in it makes for a tough decision for the selectors. Cameron Green expects to miss out, and one of either Marnus Labuschagne or Marcus Stoinis will also drop out. Steve Smith will be given every chance to ensure his recovery from vertigo. 

Smith session ends on sour note with vertigo symptoms

The Afghans have had a very settled line up throughout the tournament, with eight of their squad having featured in every match so far. On the back of three wins in a row, it wouldn't be unusal to see them line up unchanged. They will be hoping the Wankhede pitch is helpful for the spinners, with all four tweakers in Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad and Mohammad Nabi in good form, but we could well see Noor make way for seamer Naveen-ul-Haq. 

Recent form

Past 10 matches, most recent first. W: win, L: loss, N: no result

Australia: WWWWWLLWLL 

It was a tough start to the World Cup for Australia with losses to India and South Africa but they have reversed their fortunes with five straight wins. Another on Tuesday will cement a semi-final spot.  

Afghanistan: WWWLWLLNWW 

It's been a dream campaign for Afghanistan who have notched together three wins on the trot to give themselves a chance of qualifying for the semi-finals for the first time. It might be their loss to strugglers Bangladesh in their opening match of the tournament that could cost them. 

England crumble spectacularly as Afghans beat 2019 champs

World Cup Standings

Team
Matches played
M
Wins
W
Losses
L
Ties
T
No results
N/R
Net Run Rate
NRR
Deductions
Ded.
Total points
PTS
1 India Men India Men IND 9 9 0 0 0 2.57 0 18
2 South Africa Men South Africa Men SA 9 7 2 0 0 1.261 0 14
3 Australia Men Australia Men AUS 9 7 2 0 0 0.841 0 14
4 New Zealand Men New Zealand Men NZ 9 5 4 0 0 0.743 0 10
5 Pakistan Men Pakistan Men PAK 9 4 5 0 0 -0.199 0 8
6 Afghanistan Men Afghanistan Men AFG 9 4 5 0 0 -0.336 0 8
7 England Men England Men ENG 9 3 6 0 0 -0.572 0 6
8 Bangladesh Men Bangladesh Men BAN 9 2 7 0 0 -1.087 0 4
9 Sri Lanka Men Sri Lanka Men SL 9 2 7 0 0 -1.419 0 4
10 Netherlands Men Netherlands Men NED 9 2 7 0 0 -1.825 0 4

M: Matches played

W: Wins

L: Losses

T: Ties

N/R: No results

NRR: Net Run Rate

Ded.: Deductions

PTS: Total points

Last time they met

You have to go back to the previous World Cup for the last meeting, where Australia recorded a seven-wicket win in Bristol. The Afghans were bowled out for 207 with David Warner (89no) and Aaron Finch (66) making light work of the target.  

Head-to-head

Overall: Australia (three wins), Afghanistan (no wins) 

Most runs: David Warner (291), Steve Smith (113), Glenn Maxwell (91)  

Most wickets: Mitch Starc (7), Mitchell Johnson (6), Shapoor Zadran (4) 

Unsurprisingly Australia have dominated the three matches between the two sides, with their 275-run win in Perth in 2015 the biggest World Cup margin in history at the time, before Australia beat their own record against Netherlands at this tournament (309 runs).  

Warner stars as Aussies complete emphatic win

Rapid stats

  • This will be the fourth meeting between Australia and Afghanistan in men’s ODIs and the first since June 2019; Australia have won all three of their previous encounters.
  • Afghanistan have now won (77) as many men’s ODIs as they have lost (77) and their next win against a full member nation will be their 50th against such teams; they’ve won six games against full member nations in 2023 which is their most in a year since 2018.
  • Afghanistan have won their last three games in a row in men’s ODIs in India – their longest ever winning streak in the format.
  • Afghanistan trio Mohammad Nabi (4.0), Noor Ahmad (4.2), and Rashid Khan (4.6) each have better bowling economy rates than any Australia bowlers at the World Cup; Glenn Maxwell (4.8) has the best bowling economy of any Australia player.
  • Australia have a batting strike rate of 111.3 during the Powerplay in the 2023 ICC Men’s World Cup, the highest of any team in the competition; Afghanistan have a batting strike rate of 87.9 during this period. 

Where to next?

Australia finish the group stage with a match against Bangladesh in Pune while Afghanistan taken on South Africa in Ahmedabad. 

Australia's 2023 ODI World Cup fixtures

October 8: Lost to India by six wickets

October 12: Lost to South Africa by 134 runs

October 16: Beat Sri Lanka by five wickets

October 20: Beat Pakistan by 62 runs

October 25: Beat Netherlands by 309 runs

October 28: Beat New Zealand by five runs

November 4: Beat England by 33 runs

November 7: v Afghanistan, Mumbai (D/N), 7.30pm AEDT

November 11: v Bangladesh, Pune, 4pm AEDT

Australia squad: Pat Cummins (c), Sean Abbott, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa

2023 World Cup standings

Team
Matches played
M
Wins
W
Losses
L
Ties
T
No results
N/R
Net Run Rate
NRR
Deductions
Ded.
Total points
PTS
1 India Men India Men IND 9 9 0 0 0 2.57 0 18
2 South Africa Men South Africa Men SA 9 7 2 0 0 1.261 0 14
3 Australia Men Australia Men AUS 9 7 2 0 0 0.841 0 14
4 New Zealand Men New Zealand Men NZ 9 5 4 0 0 0.743 0 10
5 Pakistan Men Pakistan Men PAK 9 4 5 0 0 -0.199 0 8
6 Afghanistan Men Afghanistan Men AFG 9 4 5 0 0 -0.336 0 8
7 England Men England Men ENG 9 3 6 0 0 -0.572 0 6
8 Bangladesh Men Bangladesh Men BAN 9 2 7 0 0 -1.087 0 4
9 Sri Lanka Men Sri Lanka Men SL 9 2 7 0 0 -1.419 0 4
10 Netherlands Men Netherlands Men NED 9 2 7 0 0 -1.825 0 4

M: Matches played

W: Wins

L: Losses

T: Ties

N/R: No results

NRR: Net Run Rate

Ded.: Deductions

PTS: Total points