Pakistan v Afghanistan: Cricket World Cup 2023 – live

The anthems are being sung with both teams giving it some welly. What a shame it is that they have only ever met on neutral ground.

A quite different approach from Afghanistan: they’ve picked a fourth spinner! It’s Noor Ahmad, who is (a) a left-arm wristie and (b) only 18. In a more abstract sense, though, their strategy is the same as Pakistan’s – play to your strengths.

Afghanistan 1 Rahmanullah Gurbaz, 2 Ibrahim Zadran, 3 Rahmat Shah, 4 Hashmatullah Shahidi (capt), 5 Azmatullah Omarzai, 6 Ikram Alikhil (wk), 7 Mohammad Nabi, 8 Rashid Khan, 9 Mujeeb Ur Rahman, 10 Naveen-ul-Haq, 11 Noor Ahmad.

Just the one change. Mohammad Nawaz, who is unwell, gives way to Shadab Khan. Same balance, so even though it’s a bare, turning pitch, Babar Azam keeps faith with pace.

Pakistan 1 Abdullah Shafique, 2 Imam-ul-Haq, 3 Babar Azam (capt), 4 Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 5 Saud Shakeel, 6 Iftikhar Ahmed, 7 Mohammad Nawaz, 8 Usama Mir, 9 Shaheen Shah Afridi, 10 Hasan Ali, 11 Haris Rauf.

Babar Azam wins the toss and opts to have a bat.

Morning everyone and welcome to the World Cup’s latest local derby. It’s Pakistan v Afghanistan, for the first time ever in India.

Afghanistan have only played Pakistan in seven one-day internationals and have lost the lot. But they know they can beat their neighbours and seniors because they’ve done it in T20s, where the score is a very respectable 3-4.

Even in ODIs, the Afghans are getting closer: two months ago, at Hambantota in Sri Lanka, their rising star Rahmanullah Gurbaz led them to 300-5, their first total of 260+ against Pakistan, and although they ended up losing as usual it was only by one wicket with one ball to spare. If they hadn’t bowled 24 wides, they would have waltzed home.

Pakistan could really do with a win today after losing their last two games to India and Australia. But Afghanistan have an extra incentive to win, not that they need one. If they manage it, they’ll storm up the table from tenth to sixth, and England will sink to the bottom.