Tue Dec 17 07:49:57 UTC 2024: ## Zimbabwe and Afghanistan to Clash in First of Three ODI Series
**Harare, Zimbabwe** – Zimbabwe and Afghanistan are set to face off in the first of a three-match One Day International (ODI) series on Tuesday, December 17th, at the Harare Sports Club. The match will begin at 1:00 PM IST (Indian Standard Time).
This series holds significant importance for both teams. Zimbabwe, despite a surprise win against Pakistan in their last ODI series, ultimately lost the series 1-2 and are looking to leverage home advantage to secure a victory against Afghanistan. Notably, Zimbabwe has never won an ODI series against Afghanistan, with Afghanistan holding a 5-1 lead in their head-to-head record across six series (one series ending in a draw).
For Afghanistan, the series serves as crucial preparation for the ICC Champions Trophy in 2025, to be held in Pakistan and the UAE. Their squad boasts white-ball cricket superstars like Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi, and Fazalhaq Farooqi. Afghanistan recently celebrated back-to-back 2-1 series wins against South Africa and Bangladesh in Sharjah.
The overall ODI head-to-head record between the two nations stands at 28 matches, with Afghanistan winning 18 and Zimbabwe winning 10. While Afghanistan holds a clear advantage, matches between these two teams are always anticipated to be closely fought, especially when Zimbabwe plays at home.
The match will not be televised in India, but live streaming will be available on FanCode app and website.
**Possible Playing XIs:**
**Zimbabwe:** Joylord Gumbie, Tadiwanashe Marumani (wk), Dion Myers, Craig Ervine (c), Sean Williams, Sikandar Raza, Ryan Burl, Tinotenda Mutombodzi, Victor Nyauchi, Richard Ngarava, Blessing Muzarabani.
**Afghanistan:** Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Seddique Ullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Azmatullah Omarzai, Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Nangialia Kharote, Azmatullah Omarzai, Fazalhaq Farooqi.
First Piper 