Ireland vs Afghanistan, 1st ODI: Preview, stats, and more
What's the story
Ireland and Afghanistan are set to kick off a five-match ODI series on August 5. The series marks a fresh start for both teams, with Ireland looking to build on their recent T20I success against India at home. Meanwhile, Afghanistan are undergoing a leadership transition. Rahmat Shah, Afghanistan's leading run-scorer in the format, has taken over from Hashmatullah Shahidi.
Details
Pitch, conditions, and streaming details
The 1st ODI will be held at Bready Cricket Club in Northern Ireland, starting 3:30pm IST. The ground has hosted only one men's ODI so far, in 2019.
However, the ground provided a high-scoring pitch during three women's ODIs last month.
While pacers are expected to extract swing and bounce at the start, the pitch will assist batters. There is a 35% probability of rain on Wednesday.
In India, the match's live-streaming is available on the Fancode app and website.
Team dynamics
Key players for both sides
Afghanistan have fared well in ODIs since March 2024, barring their 3-0 defeat to India earlier this year.
While the series will begin Rahmat Shah's captaincy tenure, Mohammad Nabi has opted out of the series. And Mujeeb Ur Rahman was not selected due to injury.
Meanwhile, Ireland are dealing with injuries to several players, including Josh Little, Craig Young, and Barry McCarthy.
New entrants like left-arm seamer Jai Moondra could make their ODI debut due to these absences.
Coaching changes
Both teams have new head coaches
The series against Afghanistan will be their first ODIs in 15 months. And Gary Wilson, the former Ireland captain, has been appointed as their new head coach.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan have also seen a change in leadership, with Richard Pybus taking over as head coach after Trott's departure.
Trott, who worked with Afghanistan for over three years, is now serving Ireland as a short-term consultant.
Lineups
A look at likely XIs
Ireland (Probable XI): Paul Stirling (captain), Andrew Balbirnie, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker (wicket-keeper), Ben Calitz, Curtis Campher, Mark Adair, Gavin Hoey, Andrew McBrine, Liam McCarthy, and Jai Moondra.
Afghanistan (Probable XI): Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wicket-keeper), Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah (captain), Hashmatullah Shahidi, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Sadiqullah Atal, Rashid Khan, Allah Ghazanfar, Fazalhaq Farooqi, and Ziaur Rahman.
Numbers
Numbers in spotlight
Ireland and Afghanistan have clashed in 32 ODIs, with the latter winning 18. While Ireland have won 13 games, one was abandoned.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz, also Afghanistan's new vice-captain, is expected to continue his run-scoring spree. He averages nearly 50 with a strike rate of 162.63 in ODIs this year.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan's bowling attack will look up to Rashid Khan, who owns 214 ODI wickets.
Ireland skipper Paul Stirling has had an incredible ODI career, scoring 6,005 runs at 37.76.
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