On Monday, Pakistan took on Afghanistan in the fifth match of their 2023 World Cup campaign, hoping to get back on track after consecutive losses to India and Australia.
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Batting first in Chennai, they scored 282/7, led by captain Babar Azam's 82, and knocks of 40 apiece from Iftikhar Ahmed and Shadab Khan. Left-arm leg spinner Noor Ahmed, on his World Cup debut, took 3 wickets for Afghanistan.
In reply, Afghanistan openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran put on 130 for the first wicket, laying the platform for a successful chase, potentially Afghanistan's first-ever ODI win over Pakistan.
"Believe me, Pakistan will win from here" - Naseem Shah
Midway through the second innings, were cruising despite the loss of Gurbaz with the score on 130. At that point, with nearly 25 overs to go, Pakistan fast bowler Naseem Shah took to X, formerly Twitter to declare his confidence in his team, saying, "Believe me, Pakistan will win from here".
Believe me, Pakistan will win from here.
— Naseem Shah (@iNaseemShah) October 23, 2023
Any doubts? 🤔#PAKvsAFG
In the end, his prediction turned out to be wrong, as the Afghan batters applied themselves superbly, for Rahmat Shah and captain Hashmatullah Shahidi to complete the chase in 49 overs and seal an 8-wicket victory.
Naseem was set to be named in Pakistan's World Cup squad, but suffered a flare-up of an existing shoulder injury during Pakistan's Asia Cup match against India in Colombo. The injury was severe enough for him to leave the field at the time, and subsequently miss the World Cup in India.
Who will win the 2023 World Cup?
India, England and South Africa are among the top five favourites for the 2023 World Cup title. The odds from Dafabet are as follows:
| Team | Odds (Dafabet) |
|---|---|
| India | 2.30 |
| England | 6.00 |
| South Africa | 6.00 |
| New Zealand | 6.50 |
| Australia | 8.50 |
Think you know who will win the 2023 Cricket World Cup? Place your bets here with Dafabet!
