Afghanistan to Face Australia in ODI

Sharjah: Afghanistan takes another big step toward cricketing respect on Saturday when it plays Australia in a one-day international, only the second time the team of mostly war refugees has faced a Test playing nation.

Afghanistan, which qualified earlier this year for its second consecutive Twenty20 World Cup, isn't expected to beat Australia. But coach Kabir Khan said putting up a good fight will give the team confidence ahead of the T20 tournament in Sri Lanka and show that it has moved beyond simply being a feel-good story for the sport. He also hopes it will inspire a younger generation to take up the sport.

Afghanistan played its first ODI against a test playing nation earlier this year when it faced Pakistan. It lost by seven wickets.

Fast-rising Afghanistan will open another chapter in their remarkable story when they play their first one-day international against former world champions Australia on Saturday.

War-torn Afghanistan, who gained affiliate membership from the International Cricket Council (ICC) in 2001, took a giant leap two years ago by finishing fifth in the World Cup qualifiers.

That earned them the right to play one-day internationals.

They built on their success by qualifying for the World Twenty20 in 2010 and again earned the right to play the same event in Sri Lanka next month.

Afghanistan are regarded as a success story in international cricket with most of their players learning the game while living in refugee camps on the border with Pakistan after the Soviet invasion of their country in 1979.

Afghanistan captain Nawroz Mangal admitted playing Australia is a big occasion for his team.

Teams from

Afghanistan Nawroz Mangal (captain), Asghar Stanikzai, Dawlat Zadran, Gulbodin Naib, Izatullah Dawlatzai, Javed Ahmadi, Karim Sadiq, Mohammad Nabi, Mohammad Sami, Mohammad Shahzad (wk), Najibullah Zadran, Noor Ali Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Samiullah Shenwari, Shapoor Zadran

Australia  Michael Clarke (captain), Matthew Wade (wk), David Warner, George Bailey, Daniel Christian, Xavier Doherty, Callum Ferguson, David Hussey, Michael Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Alister McDermott, Glenn Maxwell, James Pattinson, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc, Clint McKay

Pitch and conditions
The weather can be summed up in one word: scorching. Even late at night the temperature is not expected to dip below 34C.

Stats and trivia

• This is Afghanistan's second ODI against a full member of the ICC; they lost their first by seven wickets to Pakistan at same venue in February.
• Although most of their games have been against fellow associate members, Afghanistan have an impressive ODI record, having won 12 of the 22 matches they have played.

Match facts
August 25-26, 2012 (day/night)
Start time 18:00 local (14:00 GMT)