mohammad shahzad
Mohammad Shahzad is a key player for the Afghanistan cricket team Getty

Ireland host Afghanistan in the second One Day International (ODI) at the Civil Service Cricket Club, Belfast on 12 July.

Where to watch live

Match starts at 10.45am BST. There is no live coverage of the game in the UK. Click here for the live streaming link.

Weather update

Rain is expected throughout the five-match series. Click here for live weather updates.

Overview

The five-match One Day International (ODI) series between Ireland and Afghanistan did not get off to the best of starts with the rain gods playing spoilsport, leading to the first match being abandoned without a bowl being bowled.

The second ODI which takes place on 12 July (Tuesday) too faces the prospect of being hit by showers. But rain is not expected to last long which might see some cricket if not the full 100 overs being played.

If rain truncates the match, the visitors Afghanistan will go in with confidence after their brave performance in the 2016 ICC T20 World Cup. Keeper-batsman Mohammad Shahzad who gave them blistering starts in the tournament in India, is the key player for the team, scoring 84 off 91 balls in their win against Scotland earlier on the tour.

What will be of concern for them is their lack of bite in the bowling department. They do have fast bowlers in the Zadran brothers and a canny spinner in Mohammad Nabi, but they are not match-winners.

Hosts Ireland's last competitive fixtures saw them being outplayed by Sri Lanka, who thrashed them in the two-match ODI series. Ireland's form has dipped of late and while they do spring surprises, they are not consistent enough to do it on a regular basis.

They come into this clash as favourites, with Kevin O'Brien, Ed Joyce, Paul Stirling and skipper William Porterfield capable of winning matches on their own. The Irish are missing some of their experienced regular players and will take this series as an opportunity to get youngsters into the team and blood them for the future.

Prediction

Ireland to win

Betting odds (betway)

  • Ireland to win: 4/6
  • Afghanistan to win: 6/5

Team news

Ireland

Squad: William Porterfield (c), Mark Adair, John Anderson, Peter Chase, Ed Joyce, Tyrone Kane, Andy McBrine, Barry McCarthy, Tim Murtagh, Kevin O'Brien, Stuart Poytner, Paul Stirling, Sean Terry, Garry Wilson.

Afghanistan

Squad: Asghar Stanikzai (c), Amir Hamza, Dawlat Zadran, Gulbadin Naib, Hamid Hassan, Javed Ahmadi, Mirwais Ashraf, Mohammad Nabi, Mohammad Shahzad, Najibullah Zadran, Noor Ali Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Rashid Khan, Samiullah Shenwari, Shapoor Zadran, Yamin Ahmadzai.

Afghanistan