GROUP B | MATCH 13 (ECC21.037) PORTUGAL (POR) v AUSTRIA (AUT) 1100 GMT | 1300 CET | 1630 IST
POR Timeline: L L L L (Avg Score For 92, Avg Score Against 124)
AUT Timeline: W W L W (Avg Score For 131, Avg Score Against 106)
PORTUGAL (POR)
Captain: Najjam Shahzad
Wicketkeeper: Francoise Stoman
Projected Top Order: Azhar Andani, Sharon Gomez, Amir Zaib, Anthony Chambers
Projected Opening Bowlers: Junaid Khan, Najjam Shahzad
Spin Options: Md Siraj Nipo, Amandeep Singh
PORTUGAL Key Players:
Najjam Shahzad, star all-rounder, dependable batsman who can anchor the innings very well, third highest scorer for POR with 56 runs in four knocks. He also picked up FIVE wickets.
Amir Zaib, another valuable all-rounder with vast ECN experience. Top scorer for Portugal racking up 81 runs in four matches. Is also joint leading wicket taker with SIX wickets in four games.
Junaid Khan, very good with the bat and equally sharp with the ball, the left arm quick has looked lethal with the ball both at the start and in the death overs, joint top wicket taker for POR picking up SIX wickets in four games with a best return of 3-10 vs NED XI.
Sharn Gomez, classy left handed batsman, second highest run scorer for POR racking up 77 runs in four games.
AUSTRIA (AUT)
Captain: Razmal Shigiwal
Wicketkeeper: Abrar Bilal
Projected Top Order: Iqbal Hossain, Zeeshan Goraya, Razmal Shigiwal, Abrar Bilal, Mirza Ahsan
Projected Opening Bowlers: Aqib Iqbal, Sahel Zadran
Spin Options: Sahel Zadran, Sahil Momin, Abdullah Akbarjan, Iqbal Hossain
AUSTRIA Key Players:
Abdullah Akbarjan, talented left-arm slow bowler with good pace variations, is generally very economical, scalped TWO HAT-TRICKS at FanCode ECS Austria Vienna. Also holds the record of bowling the joint second most economical spell in T20Is for players to have bowled a full quota of four overs giving away just four runs in four overs. He is a handy batsman too. Joint leading wicket taker for AUT picking up FIVE wickets.
Razmal Shigiwal, hard hitting batsman, started off with a bang plundering 96 runs in just 28 balls including 11 HUGE maximos against Romania. Top scorer for Austria mustering 165 runs at an average of 55 and strike rate of 243.
Iqbal Hossain, aggressive opening batsman, hammered 143 runs in four games at a strike rate of over 251 including a man of the match performance against Hungary scoring a blistering 64* off 29 balls.
Noor Khan, right arm medium pacer with plenty of ECS experience, joint top wicket taker for Austria scalping FIVE wickets in four games. He is also a handy batsman.
Portugal have lost four out of four and will be desperate for their first win. Apart from the Netherlands, Austria have looked the best of the bunch and easily came out on top against Portugal by eight wickets on Tuesday.
Last time they met: ECC21.033 | AUT 89(6.2) def POR 88 (21 Sep 2021)
Match Prediction: Austria (AUT) to win again but Portugal are edging closer to their first success.
Tune into the LIVE action from Spain from Monday to Friday from 0700 GMT * 0900 CEST * 1230 IST *
