Ireland Vs Afghanistan 2021 Series Review in the UAE.
Ireland’s ODIs against the UAE were enthralling, except 2 ODIs were postponed due to COVID. Then, Afghanistan swept the crucial 3 match ODI series against Ireland. However, the series was closer than the 3-0 score line suggests. The series had various moments: Paul Stirling’s 3 centuries across the 2 series, Curtis Campher’s golden run, Gurbaz’s dream debut, Rashid Khan’s magical deliveries, reliable Rahmat Shah, and Asghar Afghan finishing things off in style.
Keep on reading for our analysis, emerging players, surprise packages, broken cricket dreams, and much more.
Paul Stirling is having a stellar season. An aggressive batsman at the start of his career, he has truly transformed into Ireland’s top order main stay. Most ODI runs (576) since April 2020, 4 centuries, average of 82.28, 96 strike rate, and with age on his side (30), Ireland cricket is still in good hands. It’s a shame he did not make it to the final round of IPL 2021 auctions…
Curtis Campher, the South African expatriate, has been a revelation since his debut against England. Player of the Series in the UAE Series—this 21 year old is the next big thing of Irish cricket.
Kevin O’Brien, the hero of Bangalore and Ireland’s Test debut, is approaching the end of his career at the age of 36. With scores of 23, 2, 1, 0 & only 2 wickets, he really needs a second wind to justify his place against the incoming generation of Irish talent.
Afghanistan
Although star Rashid Khan won the man of the match in the final game of the series, Afghanistan’s series win was an all-round effort. Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Asghar Afghan, and Rahmat Shah contributed with the bat, while Naveen-Ul-Haq & Mujeeb-Ur-Rahman were effective with the ball.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz had a stellar debut – 127 runs with 9 blistering sixes. What Campher is to Ireland, Gurbaz is to Afghanistan. At the age of 19, he has a long career ahead of him.
Mohammad Nabi is currently going through the Kevin O’Brien crisis. Nabi, the stalwart of Afghanistan cricket, who has been a part of their rise since Division V cricket, needs to reinvent himself. 35 runs (2 innings) and 2 wickets (3 innings) may not be enough for the spinning all-round spot.
United Arab Emirates
The UAE probably got the worst of the COVID postponement. Since the UAE are in World Cricket League 2, they have to rank in the top 3 for the 2023 World Cup Qualification. They are currently at 5th and after winning the 1st ODI, at home they would have fancied their chances.
An impressive maiden centuryby Rizwan along with a wonderful partnership with Usman ensured UAE ‘upset’ Ireland in the first ODI.
We like to spice things up with our own awards for the series. Here they are:
Ireland
United Arab Emirates
Afghanistan
Emerging Player
Curtis Campher
Chundangapoyil Rizwan
Rahmanullah Gurbaz
Surprise Package
Simi Singh
Muhammad Usman
Naveen-Ul-Haq
Broken Cricket Dream
Kevin O’Brien
Postponement of ODIs
Mohammad Nabi
Who would have been your Emerging Player? Surprise Player? Broken Cricket Dream? Let us know below WITH COMMENTS! Also please share and subscribe below!
Unlike the World Test Championship, the ODI Super League is still a fairly sensible idea. Ireland has already played as many games as England and Australia so far, while Afghanistan rank 4th. With the top 8 automatically qualifying (including India), Ireland are currently at 7th and need to be careful from here on now. Points against UAE and Afghanistan was their best bet. Of course, the sample size is small so far with Sri Lanka, South Africa, Netherlands, and New Zealand yet to play a game in the Super League.
Ireland are scheduled to play South Africa, Netherlands, and Zimbabwe this year, while Afghanistan are bound to play Sri Lanka and Pakistan (according to pre-COVID FTP, so this is bound to change).
A lot more cricket still to come, and we hope that Ireland finally starts reaping its rewards from the 2007 generation, while Afghanistan breaks into the big leagues.
Where do Ireland cricket go from here? Would love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below!
Sri Lanka Vs South Africa—With the Pakistan-New Zealand series and Border-Gavaskar Trophy underway, this series almost went under the radar. However, the importance of this series cannot be understated, especially after the abandonment of the England-South Africa ODI series.
Although short in nature, the series had its moments—Sri Lanka’s positive start, Faf Du Plessis’ 199, Elgar’s heroics, Temba’s hilarious/unfortunate walk, the Lankan injuries, and Nortje’s coming of age.
Here are my picks for the best moments, emerging players, and much more! COMMENT BELOW ON YOUR FAVORITE MOMENTS.
Sri Lanka began the series with a complete team effort consisting of Chandimal’s 85, Dhananjaya de Silva’s 79, Dickwella’s 49, Shanaka’s 66* to get to 396, their highest ever in South Africa. In response, South Africa’s mammoth 621 was too much to save a match. Not even Kusal Perera could save the match with a 64, as he did with the best Test innings of all time in 2019.
31.1, 2.1, 28.5, 21.1, 6.5 read Sri Lanka’s bowling card in the first Test, with injured bowlers. Even captain Karunaratne and Kusal Mendis had to contribute 13.5 overs.
Injuries were unfortunately the theme for Sri Lanka this tour. With 5 forced changes including Chandimal & Dhananjay de Silva (and Angelo Mathews injured pre-series), Perera’s 1st innings 60 and Karunaratne’s 103 were the only bright spots in the 2nd Test.
Honestly speaking, 0 tour matches, COVID uncertainty, and focus on Lanka Premier League was way too much for Sri Lanka’s longer format dreams.
Faf Du Plessis has been through a lot in the last few years. Waited 7 years for a debut, heartbreak in the 2015 WC Semi-Final, led South Africa admirably, with everything collapsing in the 2019 World Cup. He has stayed and become the beacon of leadership, helping the Proteas transition to the next generation. His 199 in the 1st Test—so close, yet so far. In context though, a very important statement. Another couple of years for Faf?
Dean Elgar had a brilliant series with a 95 & 127 in the 2 Tests. One of the best openers in tough conditions, his reputation continues to rise.
SA began this series with an appalling statistic – first time in a few decades that all batsman averaged below 40. Yep, you read that correctly. All, even Faf, Elgar, and captain Quinton de Kock were on the wrong side of 40. With welcome performances from Aiden Markram, Temba Bavuma, Rassie Van der Dussen, and even Keshav Maharaj, the batting looks decent for the near future. Still need to guide against collapses.
In the absence of Rabada, Nortje rose to the occasion as the leader of the attack with a blistering 6-56. The supporting cast of Sipamla, Ngidi, and Wiaan Muldur chipped in with 10, 9, and 7 wickets respectively. Not quite Steyn-Morkel-Philander-Rabada, but these four displayed some potential for the future.
Quinton de Kock (In a series where each player had a breakthrough performance, QDK was underpar)
Injuries Galore
Who would have been your Emerging Player? Surprise Player? Broken Cricket Dream? Let us know below WITH COMMENTS! Also please share and subscribe below!
Where Do They Go From Here?
England left South Africa early due to COVID concerns. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka arrived in South Africa for a Test series tour. While the SL-SA series was going on, England already reached Sri Lanka to quarantine. So England’s been in Sri Lanka before the home team, while Sri Lanka are completing the series in South Africa.
Interesting how life works.
In the next couple of weeks, England-Sri Lanka are due for a 2-match Test series, while South Africa travel to Pakistan after a decade for a historic tour. In terms of the World Test Championship, England are ranked 4th (with tours of Sri Lanka & India coming up), SA a distant 5th, and SL down at 7th. Although the WTC provides context for the teams that are still in contention, it is the opposite for teams that suffer early losses. Widens the gap for the lower teams. Things to think about for the WTC.
Finally, Brexit is complete, Kolpak deals out of the window, & Kyle Abbott back with the Titans. If talent stream does not go to other places like the USA, South Africa might be stepping in the right direction.
Anyway, where do you think Sri Lanka and South African cricket go from here? Would love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below! Also feel free to share/discuss on our Twitter & Facebook pages!
England Vs South Africa was one of the three series that began on November 27 along with the New Zealand-West Indies and the India-Australia.
With the Proteas coming off a stellar IPL season and England a force to reckon in today’s day and age, this was the series I was most excited about. Heck, I even predicted a resurgent South Africa to sweep the series 3-0! 3-0 did happen but in England’s favor, but the abandonment of the ODI series put a sour taste on this tour.
Here are my picks for the best moments, controversial moments, emerging players, World T20 Predicted XIs, and much more! COMMENT BELOW ON YOUR FAVORITE MOMENTS.
Although South Africa were swept apart in the T20I series, they still had some positives. After scoring their highest scores 192, I expected South Africa to take some form in the ODI series.
What actually happened? First ODI postponed hours before the toss due to COVID breaches and similar result in the 2nd attempt. The tour was abandoned and the England players were sent home.
Bummer.
The Highlights
England
Player of the series? Dawid Malan. Highest runs scorer? Dawid Malan. 2 Player of the Match awards in a 3 game series? Dawid Malan. Need to say more? Definitely cemented his place for the T20I World Cup. Why doesn’t Malan have an IPL contract yet?
Chris Jordan coming from an underwhelming IPL claimed some personal records – 50th T20I match & highest wicket-taker for England, going past Stuart Broad. Specialist death bowler for sure.
While Jonny Bairstow played a match-winning-come-from-behind knock of 86* in the middle order & Jos Buttler made a mark as an opener with an unbeaten 67, Jason Roy picked up only 30 runs combined. Food for thought with the likes of Tom Banton waiting?
I think it is an interesting experiment as long as it does not influence DRS calls or causes delay in proceedings. Comment below and let us know your thoughts!
George Linde was the positive of the series for South Africa. Miserly bowling figures of 2-20 (4 overs), 0-27 (4overs), & 0-26 (4 overs) along with efficient lower order hitting with 12*(6) & 29 (20).
Faf Du Plessis is not going anywhere and the du Plessis-van der Dussen middle order partnership is starting to take shape. Partnership of 127* (66) in the 3rd T20I took South Africa from a precarious position to a healthy total. The top 2 highest scorers for the Proteas in the series.
Maybe England’s batting is too good, but still in the past 12 months, South Africa barely defended 177 (won by 1 run), failed to defend scores of 222, 179, and 191, and gave away 204 runs in the first innings (lost by 2 runs). South Africa has some soul searching to do in the bowling front – an area they are usually good at.
We like to spice things up with our own awards for the series. Here they are:
South Africa
England
Emerging Player
George Linde
Dressing Room Coded Signals
Surprise Package
George Linde
Jonny Bairstow (in the middle order)
Broken Cricket Dream
3rd Seamer: B. Hendricks (0-56 in 4 overs), Ngidi (2-51 in 4 overs), Sipamla (0-45 in 2.4 overs)
Jason Roy
Who would have been your Emerging Player? Surprise Player? Broken Cricket Dream? Let us know below WITH COMMENTS! Also please share and subscribe below!
Where Do They Go From Here?
A lot of Sri Lanka in the near future.
Sri Lanka are on schedule to tour South Africa for a 2-match Test series. At this point all reports are showing good signs in terms of the tour being played. After this series, England tour Sri Lanka for a two match Test series. After Pakistan return from New Zealand, South Africa will tour Pakistan in a historic move for 2 Tests and 3 T20Is.
South African cricket has endured a lot in the past year – mixed Black Lives Matter messages, constant changing of administration, COVID breaches, and much more (kudos to England for getting cricket back together and hosting West Indies, Ireland, Pakistan and Australia earlier). The abandonment of the ODI series (technically just postponed) puts a light onto future hosting in South Africa as well as the loss of finances.
Where do South Africa cricket go from here? Would love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below!
World T20 Watch:
We are doing a World T20 Watch from now till the T20I world cup next year. Here is our predicted T20 XI line up and 15-man squad as of now based on this series. Several ifs and buts at this point, but it will get clearer along the journey.
South Africa still need some tweaking, while England look all set to claim their 2nd limited overs World Cup trophy.
England
Tom Banton, 2. Jos Buttler (WK), Dawid Malan, Jonny Bairstow, Eoin Morgan*, Ben Stokes, Sam Curran, Jofra Archer, Chris Jordan, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood
Squad: Sam Billings, Tom Curran/Saqib Mahmood/Reece Topley, Jason Roy/Moeen Ali, Joe Root/Joe Denly/Other
*Captain
South Africa
Temba Bavuma did not have a great series, so I am putting Janneman Malan ahead in the XI. Bavuma should still get a few more chances before a final decision is made on his T20I career.
Quinton de Kock* (WK), 2. Janneman Malan, 3. Faf du Plessis, 4. Rassie Van der Dussen, 5. Heinrich Klassen, 6. David Miller, 7. George Linde, 8. Andile Phelukwayo, 9. Kagiso Rabada, 10. Anrich Nortje, 11. Tabraiz Shamsi
The England cricket team swept the T20I series 3-0 and are marching towards the T20 World Cup next year.
England had several contributors – the charismatic Sam Curran, determined Jonny Bairstow, and consistent Dawid Malan. For South Africa, Russie Van Der Dussen and George Linde impressed, but the disappointments of a team in transition keep on increasing.
Anyway, before get ahead of ourselves, let us talk about the elephant in the room. This ODI series was supposed to start two days ago, but was CANCELLED due to a positive test and breach over the bio-secure protocols. Everyone has tested negative now, and the tour is on with revised dates, but was a genuine concern for cricket fans and administrators.
Let us move to the ODI series preview. Find out who to watch out and our predictions between South Africa and this dominant England cricket team. COMMENT BELOW WITH YOUR OPINIONS!
Eng: Key Players Rested But England Cricket Have Enough Depth
Dawid Malan, ended the T20I series with 99*, 2 MOM awards, and the MOS award, but is not part of the ODI squad. Do not worry—someone named Joe Root will slide into the #3 spot without trouble.
Sam Billings and Liam Livingstone have been making their cases for a while without cementing their spots. Is this the series for them?
Do not underestimate Jason Roy following low T20I scores. In ODIs, he will definitely make a mark.
SA: Lots Rest on Quinton de Kock and Van der Dussen’s Shoulder
South Africa are planning towards the 2023 World Cup and have rested the experienced Faf du Plessis. Hence, captain de Kock and the man-in-form der Dussen would need to do a bulk of the scoring.
Janneman Malan scored a 100 vs Australia not too long ago. After the COVID break, he would want to remind people of the promise of his talent.
David Miller did not play the T20Is but may be available for the ODIs. If he returns, South Africa will have a a potential middle order of Van der Dussen-Klassen-Miller.
Eng: Woakes and Wood Highlight the Bowling
The Bowling
Mark Wood has been excellent in the few opportunities over the past year. With Archer rested and Jordan a T20I specialist, Wood will get opportunities to showcase his talent.
Without Sam Curran, Ben Stokes, and an out-of-form Tom Curran, the fast-bowling all-round spot is a concern.
England should not miss the rested Jofra Archer because the ever-consistent Chris Woakes is back.
SA: Bowling a Concern for Rabada-less South Africa
South Africa failed to defend large scores in the T20Is. With Rabada out with a groin injury, the likes of Ngidi and Nortje will need to rise up to the occasions.
George Linde was the find of the T20I series with his finishing touch and miserly left-arm spin. If Linde and Shamsi can tie England in the middle phase, South Africa might have a shot.
Just like Miller, Phelukwayo’s return (if available) will be a large boost to this unbalanced South African side.
Moeen Ali had earlier committed to all formats but was not given a shot in the T20Is. With England sweeping the series 3-0, he may not be picked again for T20Is. So, this is his only chance to remind the public of his potential.
SA: Will Klassen Show his Klass?
Heinrich Klassen burst onto the ODI scene with a marvelous 100 against India, but has not been consistent enough. With Kyle Verreynne as the backup keeper in the squad, Klassen may not get a long window.
Prediction
Verdict: 2-1 England
For the T20I series, my prediction of 3-0 was absolutely spot on. Except it was horrendously off since the bet was on South Africa. 😅
This time, I am going for a more conservative 2-1 win in favor of the England cricket team. England should take the momentum from the T20I series and win the first game. South Africa will come back and tie the series 1-1 before a close finish should seal the deal for the world champions.
Watch out for Van der Dussen and Janneman Malan from South Africa and out-of-the-Fab-Four Joe Root and Liam Livingstone.
Whatever happens, fingers crossed for a COMPLETE series. Regardless of who wins or loses, it is the safety of the players, the trust in the bio-secure environment, and the future of bilateral cricket in the age of COVID that is at stake.
What do you think will be the series result? COMMENT BELOW AND LET US KNOW!
My Starting XI:
These are my starting XI for the first T20I (assuming everyone is available in terms of COVID and injuries).
Eng:
Jonny Bairstow, Jason Roy, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan*, Jos Buttler (WK), Sam Billings, Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood, Reece Topley
SA:
Quinton de Kock * (WK), Temba Bavuma, Janneman Malan, Rassie Van der Dussen, Heinrich Klassen, David Miller, George Linde, Andile Phelukwayo, Anrich Nortje, Lungi Ngidi, Tabraiz Shamsi
*captain
The Squads
These are the other options in the squads.
Eng: Tom Curran, Olly Stone, Liam Livingstone, Lewis Gregory
November 27th, the big day is finally here—England (Eng) vs South Africa (SA), India vs Australia, and New Zealand vs West Indies.
We will start by previewing the England vs South Africa 3-match T20I series. This series has been in the news for ominous reasons—Cricket South Africa’s administrative troubles, mixed BLM’s messages, and COVID positive cases. Now that the series is finally on, let us focus on the cricket.
My prediction for the series: South Africa 3, England 0. Read till the end to see why.
Let us know who you think will win in the comments section below!
England’s limited overs batting has so much depth they are currently practicing with Team Morgan vs Team Buttler. Eyeing the T20 World Cup, experimentation will be the focus before settling down
How many openers can they fit in? Bairstow, Roy, Buttler, and now even Stokes (Banton did not even make the T20I squad)
Dawid Malan will hold key given his stellar recent form – 16 matches, average of 48.71, 146.66 strike rate, with the best of 103*
SA: Solid Line Up But Finishers Needed
De Kock and Faf are in good touch as seen in the IPL. With Miller, Van der Dussen, Bavuma, and Klassen, they have a good mix of experience and youth
SA will definitely be steady, but can they need their power hitters and finishers come to the party. (The old Killer Miller, please come back)
Consistency will be key with this line-up. If their batsmen fire in the first match, they will be dangerous to watch for the rest of the series.
Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, and Chris Jordan are almost a certainty, but who else? Mark Wood? Wickets vs Economy – that is the question.
All-rounders will be key. If Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, and Ben Stokes make the XI and are fit enough to bowl, the balance will be handy
The Currans make things happen but only one might make the XI
SA: Bowlers for the Win
If Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje can repeat their heroics from the IPL, they will be a handful
Phelukwayo will be hold the key to South Africa’s success as the key all-rounder in the side
Shamsi’s destructive spin in the middle overs give SA the edge
The Broken Dream
Eng: Joe Root and Moeen Ali
Moeen Ali has committed to all formats in the final leg of his career but how many chances does he have left in him?
Joe Root is massively underrated in T20 cricket. His contributions in the 2016 T20 World Cup were monumental, but he has been selected only for the ODI side, not the T20 side.
Will Reece Topley make a comeback?
SA: Is Dale Steyn’s international career over?
After having a poor IPL, it seems that Dale Steyn’s international career has finally come to an end.
Will Janneman Malan get to showcase his talent?
Prediction
Previous Battle
Last time England toured South Africa in February 2020 (pre-COVID times), it was a close 2-1 contest in England’s favor. The margins of victory?
SA won by 1 run, Eng won by 2 runs, and Eng won with 5 balls to spare.
The scores? 177 vs 176, 204 vs 202, 222 vs 226
If this series is going to be anywhere close, it is going to be a cracker of a contest!
Verdict: 0-3 South Africa
England definitely have better resources and will be a threat at the T20 World Cup next year, but 3-match series might not be enough time to find a settled line up. South Africa at home with a clearer batting line up and in-form bowling attack can spring a surprise.
I think South Africa will spice things up and win 3-0 due to the momentum if they start on a good note.
By the time the ODI series gets around, England will have an edge. Whatever ends up happening, this is a series that is going to have high-scoring close contests.
My Starting XI:
These are my starting XI for the first T20I (assuming everyone is available in terms of COVID and injuries).
Eng:
Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler (WK), Dawid Malan, Eoin Morgan*, Ben Stokes, Sam Billings, Sam Curran, Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Chris Jordan
SA:
Quinton de Kock * (WK), Temba Bavuma, Faf du Plessis, Rassie Van der Dussen, Heinrich Klassen, David Miller, Andile Phelukwayo, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Lungi Ngidi, Tabraiz Shamsi
*captain
The Squads
These are the other options in the squads.
Eng: Tom Curran, Jason Roy, Reece Topley, Mark Wood