Fantasy Preview: Ireland vs Pakistan, Match 36, T20 World Cup 2024

All stats till Match 35

Recent form (recent first)

Ireland – L L W W W

Pakistan – W L T (lost Super Over) L L

Head to Head

Pakistan 3-1 Ireland

Pakistan won by 6 wickets (2024)

Venue details

Central Broward Regional Park Stadium Turf Ground, Lauderhill

Average first innings score: 177

Bat first / Bat second split: Four out of the last six games have been won by the team batting first

Pace and spin split: Average 26.9 vs 21.1, Economy 9 vs 7.5, Percentage of wickets 54.5% vs 45.5%

Weather conditions

All three matches scheduled in Florida thus far in this World Cup have been washed out without a ball being bowled. However, this fixture has a much better forecast, with the chances of rain under 10% during the game. The temperature is expected to be between 28 and 31 degrees Celsius. 

Players to watch out for

Naseem Shah: There is not much to look into Pakistan’s batting with confidence. Among the bowlers, Naseem Shah has been prolific with five wickets in three matches. He has averaged 14.2 runs per wicket and 5.9 runs per over. He has especially been good in the middle overs where he has picked 4/17 in four overs. Ireland have a brittle middle order in this format which Naseem can target to boost his numbers in the tournament. 

George Dockrell: The spin-bowling all-rounder can be crucial for Ireland in this do-or-die clash. Dockrell bats in the middle order and averages 20.2 in T20Is since 2023. Dockrell hasn’t bowled a lot in recent times but his left-arm orthodox spin can come into the picture in Florida. 

Mark Adair: The right-arm pacer is the highest wicket-taker for Ireland since 2023. He has 45 wickets in only 27 matches at 17 runs per wicket. In this World Cup, Adair has picked a wicket each in both games for Ireland thus far. In addition, he can bat at seven or eight to boost your fantasy fortunes. In Ireland’s previous fixture, where they lost by 12 runs, Adair was the highest scorer with the bat, accruing 34 off 24 balls. 

Key Battles

Pakistan left-arm pacers vs Paul Stirling

Paul Stirling averages only 15.1 at a strike rate of 124.7 in T20Is since 2023. These numbers are the second-lowest against any bowling type. Stirling will have to circumvent two skilled left-arm pacers in this fixture — Shaheen Afridi and Mohammed Amir. Shaheen hasn’t been on his radar in this World Cup but can Stirling with the new ball. On the other hand, Amir has averaged only 12.2 runs apiece for his five wickets. Stirling has his task cut out if he has to leave a mark before flying back home. 

Cricket.com’s suggested Fantasy XI

Probable Playing XI

Ireland: Paul Stirling ( c ), Andrew Balbirnie, Lorcan Tucker (wk), Harry Tector, Curtis Campher, George Dockrell, Gareth Delany, Mark Adair, Barry McCarthy, Josh Little, Craig Young

Pakistan: Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saim Ayub, Babar Azam ( c ), Fakhar Zaman, Usman Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Amir

Streaming and Telecast details

The match will begin at 8 PM IST on June 15 and be streamed and telecasted on Disney+ Hotstar and Star Sports. 

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