West Indies and United States of America will clash in Group A match no.2 of the ICC World Cup Qualifier 2023 at Takashinga Sports Club in Harare on Sunday, June 18. Both teams will be looking forward to kicking off their campaign with a win as eight other teams are fighting for the top two spots to clinch the World Cup 2023 qualification.
West Indies, two-time champions, are clear favorites with Sri Lanka to secure the qualification and have been impressive in their recent ODI outings. Shai Hope-led side beat UAE 3-0 away in a bilateral series and were dominant in the warm-up fixtures prior to the main round. This is the first time both teams are playing against each other in a one-day international match and this will be the first-ever ODI game played at this venue.
WI vs USA, Takashinga Sports Club Pitch Report
The pitch at Tkashinga's Sports Club offers a batting-friendly surface for white-ball cricket. This is the first time the venue is hosting a men's ODI game. Two warm-up games played here prior to the qualifiers turned out run-fest for the batters. West Indies scored 374/9 against UAE and Zimbabwe and Oman both recorded 330-plus totals in the practice matches. The pitch provides a flat surface but there will be a little help for the spin bowlers in the second innings.
Will Toss Matter?
Not likely. Takashinga's pitch hosted two warmup games ahead of the main round and teams posted big totals regardless of the toss decision. Captains will prefer batting first but it is unlikely to make a considerable impact on the result.
Takashinga Sport Club, Harare - The Numbers Game
Basic T20I Stats (No 50-over game played here)
- Total matches: 11
- Matches won batting first: 8
- Matches won bowling first: 3
Average T20I Stats (No 50-over game played here)
- Average 1st Innings scores: 118
- Average 2nd Innings scores: 76
Score Stats for T20I matches (No 50-over game played here)
- Highest total recorded - 170/4 (20 Ov) by KEN-W vs SLE-W
- Lowest total recorded - 40/10 (10.4 Ov) by MOZ-W vs TAN-W
- Highest score chased - 107/9 (19.3 Ov) by ZIM-W vs THAI-W
- Lowest score defended - 102/6 (20 Ov) by RWA-W vs NGA-W
Full Squads -
USA Squad: Steven Taylor, Sushant Modani, Saiteja Mukkamalla, Monank Patel (c & wk), Aaron Jones, Gajanand Singh, Nisarg Patel, Jasdeep Singh, Nosthush Kenjige, Saurabh Netravalkar, Ali Khan, Kyle Phillip, Shayan Jahangir, Abhishek Paradkar, Usman Rafiq
WI Squad: Brandon King, Kyle Mayers, Shamarh Brooks, Shai Hope (c & wk), Nicholas Pooran (wk), Rovman Powell, Jason Holder, Romario Shepherd, Yannic Cariah, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Keemo Paul, Johnson Charles, Keacy Carty, Roston Chase