World Cup 2019: Afghanistan aim revival

World Cup 2019: Afghanistan aim revival

Stuck series of injury setbacks, England will look to get the combination right when they take on the low-ranked but spirited Afghanistan in their bid get closer to a semi-final berth, here on Tuesday.

PTIUpdated: Tuesday, June 18, 2019, 10:13 AM IST
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Manchester: Stuck series of injury setbacks, England will look to get the combination right when they take on the low-ranked but spirited Afghanistan in their bid get closer to a semi-final berth, here on Tuesday.

The hosts are struggling with fitness issues, the latest being captain Eoin Morgan having to leave the field with a back spasm during the game against the West Indies.

Opening batsman Jason Roy was also forced off the field during the same match due to a tight hamstring.

Himself in doubt for Tuesday's game but Morgan insisted there is no need to hit the panic button just yet.

"It is sore. I have had back spasms before and it normally takes a few days to settle down. It is unclear, we will know more in the next 24 hours. You normally get a good indication the following day," Morgan said after the victory against West Indies.

"Jason had a tight hamstring and will go for a scan. I think when any two players go down it is a bit of a worry but it is not panic stations yet."

In case Morgan isn't fully fit, vice captain Jos Buttler is likely to lead the team which boasts of a strong bench strength that includes the likes of Tom Curran and Moeen Ali.

After suffering a shock loss to Pakistan, England have got their act together, excelling in all three departments and the hosts will want to continue riding on the winning momentum.

On the other hand, Afghanistan will be eager to post their first win in the ongoing 50-over showpiece.

Playing in their second World Cup, the bottom-placed Afghanistan lost all four of their matches till now to South Africa, Australia, Sri Lanka and New Zealand respectively.

Key Players

Jos Buttler

England wicket-keeper batsman Buttler is in tremendous touch for his team. The right-hander provides late flourish to help England post challenging totals on the board. Buttler scored a quickfire knock of 103 runs off just 76 balls in a match against Pakistan, which almost took England over the line.

Rashid Khan

The 20-year-old Rashid leads Afghanistan's spin bowling attack as the youngster is capable of delivering a stellar performance in the game. Rashid entered the World Cup at the back of 17 wickets in the concluded 2019 IPL.

Injured Roy out of two games

London: England will miss the services of Jason Roy in the next two matches as the opener has suffered a hamstring tear. Roy pulled up his hamstring while chasing a ball during the eighth over of England's previous match against the West Indies. While the hosts won the game by eight wickets, the 28-year-old played no further part and underwent scans on Saturday in London.

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