LUCKNOW: Netherlands skipper Scott Edwards won the toss and chose to bat first on Friday in a key World Cup clash in Lucknow against Afghanistan, who recalled teenage spinner Noor Ahmad.
Wrist spinner Ahmad, 18, is playing just his second match of the World Cup having shone with 3-49 in the win over Pakistan.
He forms part of a four-pronged spin attack alongside Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi and Mujeeb Ur Rahman.
The Dutch, who have beaten South Africa and Bangladesh at the tournament, brought in Roelof van der Merwe and Saqib Zulfiqar for Shariz Ahmad and Vikramjit Singh.
Afghanistan have three wins so far, over defending champions England, Sri Lanka and Pakistan.
Victory over the Dutch would take them to eight points, the same as Australia and New Zealand, who currently occupy the semifinal places.
The Dutch need to win to have any chance of keeping their campaign alive after two victories in six games.
Afghanistan hold a 7-2 winning advantage over the Dutch in a rivalry which started in 2009.
Back then, Afghanistan were still a non-Test-playing nation and games with the Netherlands were played in Amsterdam and Rotterdam.
They didn’t face each other at all for 10 years between 2012 and 2022 as both countries’ cricketing journeys went in dramatically different directions.
When they resumed matches in Doha last year Afghanistan swept to a 3-0 series victory.
Teams
Netherlands: Max O’Dowd, Wesley Barresi, Colin Ackermann, Sybrand Engelbrecht, Scott Edwards (capt/wkt), Bas de Leede, Saqib Zulfiqar, Logan van Beek, Roelof van der Merwe, Aryan Dutt, Paul van Meekeren
Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (capt), Azmatullah Omarzai, Ikram Alikhil (wkt) Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi
