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The much-awaited Asia Cup 2023 will finally kick off on Wednesday (August 30). The tournament opener will be played between the co-host Pakistan and Nepal at the Multan Cricket Stadium.
Pakistan are the runner-up of the last edition of the Asia Cup and will be riding high on confidence. Meanwhile, for Nepal, this will be their debut in the continental tournament as they qualified by winning the inaugural ACC Men’s Premier Cup 2023.
The Green Team has one of the best bowling attacks, featuring the likes of Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah. The world-class batter in the form of Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan further add more power to Pakistan’s line-up. On the other hand, Nepal will depend on the performance of a few of their prominent players, such as Kushal Bhurtel, Aasif Sheikh, Rohit Paudel and Sandeep Lamichhane.
Both teams are laced up with vast experiences and will look to start their campaign on a high note.
ODI stats and records at the Multan Cricket Stadium:
- Played: 10
- Won batting first: 5
- Won chasing: 5
- Pakistan won: 7
- Visiting team won: 3
- Average 1st innings score: 255
- Highest total: 325/5 (Pakistan)
- Highest run chase: 306/5 (Pakistan)
- Lowest total: 148 All-out (Zimbabwe)
- Lowest total defended: 272/9 (Pakistan)
- Highest score: 127 off 134 balls (Shai Hope)
- Best bowling figures: 4/19 (Mohammad Nawaz)
- Most runs: 199 runs (Imam ul Haq)
- Total sixes: 70 sixes
- Most sixes: 10 sixes (Shahid Afridi)
- Total fours: 390 fours
- Most fours: 22 fours (Inzamam ul Haq)
- Most wickets: 7 wickets (Mohammad Nawaz and Shadab Khan)
Multan Cricket Stadium Pitch Report:
The track at the Multan Cricket Stadium is a batting paradise and is well-known for its nature to favour the batters. Meanwhile, the seamers tend to struggle at this particular venue due to the flat and dry surface. However, spinners can be anticipated to come into play as the game progresses. The average first-inning score at the ground is 255, and the team winning the toss would look to bat first, considering the past records. Overall, a high-scoring game is expected to take place as the ball comes nicely onto the bat at this venue.
Multan Weather Report:
The weather in Multan will be bright and sunny with almost no chance of precipitation. Cricket enthusiasts can expect the match to take place without any interruptions. The temperature is expected to hover around 37 degrees Celsius with humidity levels to be around 49% and the wind blowing at a speed of 18 Km/hr.
PAK vs NEP, Probable XIs:
Pakistan: Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Agha Salman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah
Nepal: Aarif Sheikh, Kushal Bhurtel, Aasif Sheikh (wk), Rohit Paudel, Dipendra Singh Airee, Bhim Sharki, Sompal Kami, Sandeep Lamichhane, Lalit Rajbanshi, Gulshan Jha, Pratis GC
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