We have opted for a fantasy cricket team based on the recent performances, overall impact, and credit points.
Pitch Report
First innings average score: 149
Second innings average: 125
Type: Sluggish wicket. Helps slower bowlers.
Time: September 2, 7.30 PM IST
Also Read:
Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan, Asia Cup 2022: Fantasy Team, Pitch Report & Playing XI
India vs Pakistan, Asia Cup 2022: Fantasy Team, Pitch Report, Probable Playing XI
Teams
Probable XI for Pakistan: Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Fakhar Zaman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Asif Ali, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah/Mohammad Hasnain, Haris Rauf, Shahnawaz Dahani
Probable XI for Hong Kong: Nizakat Khan (c), Yasim Murtaza, Babar Hayat, Kinchit Shah, Aizaz Khan, Scott McKechnie (wk), Zeeshan Ali, Haroon Arshad, Ehsan Khan, Ayush Shukla, Mohammad Ghazanfar
Form Concern
Fakhar Zaman has been experiencing a lean run in T20Is. His recent scores read 10, 10, 12, 0, and 10.
Game Changer
While Shadab Khan couldn’t make much of an impact against India, his leg-spinners could be tough to negotiate on the sluggish Sharjah wicket. Moreover, Pakistan can also promote him up the order, in pursuit of quick runs.
Smart Picks
Although Pakistan lost to India, Mohammad Nawaz held his head high with figures of 3 for 33. The Sharjah pitch will further aid his type of orthodox spin bowling.
It will be interesting to see how the inexperienced batters from Hong Kong deal with the hostility of Naseem Shah. In case he misses out due to injury, the equally quicker Mohammad Hasnain will take the field. He took 6 wickets in the ongoing 100 League.
The Indian batters found it hard to attack Yasim Murtaza. He thrives on flighting the ball and deceiving the batters in the air and off the pitch. He can also smash them with the bat as we saw in the Asia Cup qualifiers: 26, 46, and 58.
As wickets kept falling in a heap at the other end, Babar Hayat took the attack to the Indian bowlers before he was dismissed for 41 off 35 balls. He is expected to play the role of a sheet anchor for his side.
Although Aizaz Khan couldn’t do any damage against India, he is capable of generating fantasy points with both bat and ball. In his last 5 T20Is, he has picked 6 wickets.
Power Players
Like always, fantasy players will have their eyes firmly set on Babar Azam. He has slammed 2 half-centuries in his last 3 T20Is. Furthermore, he also scored 66 when he last played at Sharjah.
Be it with the bat or gloves, Mohammad Rizwan rarely fails to impress. He has accumulated 362 runs at 40, including the highest score of 87 in his last 10 T20Is. With the gloves, he has inflicted 9 dismissals. Despite going wicketless against India, Ehsan Khan kept the run flow under check. He is arguably Hong Kong’s best death bowler. Let us not forget that he took 9 wickets in the Asia Cup qualifiers.
Fantasy Tip of The Day
Given the slow conditions, spinners might revel as we saw in the game against Afghanistan and Bangladesh. Picking batters who play the ball on its merit could also help you stay ahead in the race.
