Preview:
Portugal will host Malta and Gibraltar in the six-match T20I Tri-series between 19th-22nd August. Gucherre Cricket Ground will host entire fixtures of this series. Portugal are featuring at the International arena for the first time since October 2019. They were part of the Iberia Cup 2019/20 Tri-Series, where they won 2 of their 4 matches. They are still taking small baby steps at the highest level.
Malta, on the other hand, recently played the T20I series against Belgium last month, where they lost the series 3-2. They took the series to the decider but were unable to handle the pressure. As a result, they lost the match by 39 runs. They have learned many lessons from that series and will be hoping for a better campaign this time around.
Match Details:
Portugal vs Malta, 1st T20I, Portugal T20I Tri-Series
Venue: Gucherre Cricket Ground, Albergaria
Date & Time: 19th August, at 3:30 PM IST and 11:00 AM Local Time
Live Streaming: Cricket Portugal Youtube channel
Pitch Report:
Gucherre Cricket Ground is hosting a T20I game for the first time. Not a lot of information is available about this venue. Having said that, the surface here is expected to be a neutral one with equal help for both batters and bowlers.
Also Read: Australia name 15-man squad for T20 World Cup 2021; Josh Inglis gets surprise national call-up
Probable Playing XIs for POR vs MAL:
Portugal
Mian Mehmood, Arslan Ahmed, Imran Khan, Amandeep-Singh, Paulo Buccimaza, Anthony Chambers, Najjam Shahzad (c), Amir Zaib, Miguel Stoman, Junaid Khan, Rahul Bhardwaj
Malta
Zeeshan Khan / Gopal Chaturvedi, Heinrich Gericke, Samuel Stanislaus, Varun Prasath Thamatharam, Bikram Arora, Niraj Khanna, Haroon Mughal, Amar Sharma, Washeem Abbas, Muhammad Bilal, Ashok Bishnoi
Top Picks for POR vs MAL Dream11 Match:
Top Picks – Portugal
Skipper Najjam Shahzad will strengthen Portugal’s middle-order and is likely to attack the new ball. In his 4 T20I matches, he has scored 126 runs at an average of 126. With the ball, he has scalped 4 wickets at an economy of under 6.
44-year-old Mian Mehmood is a household name in Portugal’s domestic cricket. He has represented Portugal in 4 T20Is and has scored 29 runs, with the highest score of 13.
Top Picks – Malta
Heinrich Gericke is a floater who can bat anywhere the team wants him. He was the leading run-scorer for Malta in the 5-match T20I series against Belgium, where he scored 89 runs at a strike rate of 136.92, including a half-century.
Washeem Abbas is a right-arm seamer who was the leading wicket-taker in the recently concluded T20I series against Belgium, where he picked up 11 wickets at an economy of 6.6 and also scored 19 runs with the bat.
POR vs MAL Must Picks for Dream11 Fantasy Cricket:
| Player | Career T20I Stats |
| Najjam Shahzad | 126 runs and 4 wickets |
| Mian Mehmood | 29 runs |
| Heinrich Gericke | 203 runs |
| Washeem Abbas | 13 wickets and 52 runs |
| Bikram Arora | 116 runs and 2 wickets |
Suggested Playing XI No.1 for POR vs MAL Dream11 Fantasy Cricket:
Arslan Ahmed, Heinrich Gericke (vc), Mian Mehmood, Amandeep-Singh, Gopal Chaturvedi, Najjam Shahzad (c), Muhammad Bilal, Bikram Arora, Ashok Bishnoi, Junaid Khan, Washeem Abbas
Suggested Playing XI No.2 for POR vs MAL Dream11 Fantasy Cricket:
Paulo Buccimaza, Heinrich Gericke, Mian Mehmood, Niraj Khanna, Samuel Stanislaus, Najjam Shahzad, Muhammad Bilal (c), Bikram Arora, Imran Khan, Junaid Khan, Washeem Abbas (vc)
Today’s POR vs MAL Probable Winners:
Malta are expected to win this match.
