Saturday at the Cricket World Cup: Australia face Afghanistan and New Zealand take on Sri Lanka
Saturday 1 June 2019 13:19, UK
David Warner has been passed fit to play as defending champions Australia begin their campaign against Afghanistan in the second part of a World Cup double-header on Saturday.
The day's first game sees New Zealand, finalists in 2015, take on Sri Lanka in Cardiff before Afghanistan and Australia meet in a day-nighter in Bristol.
Warner had been struggling with a sore glute but captain Aaron Finch has confirmed that the left-hander has recovered and, along with Steve Smith, is in line to make his first competitive appearance for Australia since the ball-tampering scandal.
Live ICC Cricket World Cup
"David is fine. He will play tomorrow, no doubt about that," Finch said. "We are very close to a starting XI but we are not going to name it yet. Everyone is in contention.
"It is a real positive in that every time someone has been given an opportunity, they have taken it."
While Warner has not been at his best since returning to the Australia side, Smith has been in excellent form in the warm-up matches, scoring a century against England in Southampton.
"I think when you are a world-class player, you adapt again really quickly and you get up to speed," Finch added.
"Steve is one of the all-time greats by the time he will finish the game. There is no question about his batting ability and when you are great, you get the game quicker and things just happen quicker.
"There was never any issue about how he would bounce back, and the same with David.
"They are both so competitive, they have got great records. There was never any doubt how well they would come back."
Meanwhile, Afghanistan geared up for their second World Cup with a surprise victory over Pakistan before falling to a comprehensive defeat to England.
While they are the least established of the teams at the tournament, Afghanistan will hope to spring a surprise or two during the group stages with their potent spin attack sure to make life uncomfortable for numerous batting-up lines in the next few weeks.
In the earlier game, New Zealand will be favourites to overcome Sri Lanka, having won the ODI series between the sides 3-0 at the start of the year.
Despite reaching the final four years ago, the Black Caps have gone somewhat under the radar ahead of this year's competition, not that captain Kane Williamson is concerned by that.
"We're just excited to get involved," he said. "We know that there are sides ranked higher and are favourites in these conditions.
"But once again, it's about us playing the sort of cricket that we want to be playing and showing those sort of attributes, characteristics, that are really important to us as a side to try and be a competitive side day in and day out.
"When we are that, we know we can beat anybody."
Live ICC Cricket World Cup
As for Sri Lanka, their 1-0 series victory over Scotland was their first in a bilateral ODI series since beating Ireland in 2016 (they have won two Tri-Series in that time) and were they to defy the odds and lift the World Cup on July 14, it would represent an even bigger shock than their 1996 triumph.
TEAM NEWS
Warner's recovery means Australia have a full compliment to choose from and with the left-hander set to open alongside Finch, Usman Khawaja and Shaun Marsh are battling it out for the No 3 spot.
Afghanistan are also expected to have a fully-fit squad available to them with Mohammad Shahzad and Hazratullah Zazai both in contention after being treated for hamstring complaints in the warm-up win over Pakistan.
New Zealand are sweating over the fitness of seamer Tim Southee and batsman Henry Nicholls, both of whom have "minor niggles", according to Williamson but Colin Munro, Tom Latham and Trent Boult are all available after knocks.
Sri Lanka have made the brave call of including a number of relatively untested players at international, making their XI that much trickier to predict and they have no injury concerns to contend with.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
All eyes with be on Smith and Warner in Bristol, and not just to see the kind of reception they receive from the crowd, with the former already looking close to his best despite a 12-month hiatus. If he can maintain the form he showed in the warm-up games throughout the tournament, then Australia's chances of completing a remarkable redemption story at Lord's in July would improve considerably.
Rashid Khan is the undoubted star of the Afghanistan team, and in an era when every side wants a leg-spinner in their XI, there are none better than him. He may be only 20, but he has been playing international cricket for almost four years and will be determined to shine on his World Cup debut.
If Ross Taylor reaches double figures then there is a good chance he will go on to make a score, certainly based on his recent form. In his last eight innings for Middlesex and New Zealand, he has made five single-figure scores and three half-centuries (64, 94 and 71) so get him early or, as you'd expect from a player of his quality, he'll make you pay.
In a team with so many new faces, the experience of Lasith Malinga will be crucial for Sri Lanka. At 35, no one would dispute that he is some way past his exhilarating best but he can still nail a yorker as well, if not better, than most in world cricket - something that could prove invaluable in a close contest.
THE CAPTAINS
Australia's Aaron Finch: "[Afghanistan] are a dangerous side. If you take your foot off the gas for a while, they will hurt you, and you still have to play at your absolute best to beat them."
Afghanistan's Gulbadin Naib: "We have a great spin department in our bowling attack, but it will depend on the wicket tomorrow. I have a confidence in my team and players, especially with how we have prepared over the last 12 months. We beat Pakistan in our first warm-up game, so anything can happen."
New Zealand's Kane Williamson: "I guess we reflect back over the last few years as a group that we've been growing together. It's been about adjusting to conditions and opposition to try and move the team forward."
Sri Lanka's Dimuth Karunaratne: "All the other guys who have played in the last couple of years failed to perform for Sri Lanka. That is why the selectors want to give a new chance to the players who have done well domestically. That was the past. We have a good side with fresh faces, and are trying to start again. We are trying to be ready for the World Cup and I think we are."
Watch New Zealand vs Sri Lanka in the ICC Cricket World Cup, live on Sky Sports Cricket from 10am on Saturday, with Afghanistan vs Australia from 1pm.
