Afghanistan Take on Australia in Crucial Group B Clash
Lahore: Afghanistan won the toss and elected to bat first against Australia in their crucial Group B encounter of the 2025 Champions Trophy at the Gaddafi Stadium on Friday.
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Weather and Pitch Conditions
Despite heavy rain in Lahore leading up to the match, the skies cleared in time for the toss. The match will be played on a used pitch, where Australia previously faced England in this eight-team tournament.
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Afghanistan’s Qualification Scenario
- A win will secure Afghanistan’s place in the semi-finals.
- A loss will eliminate them from the tournament.
- If the match is abandoned due to rain, Afghanistan could still be knocked out based on net run rate.
Hashmatullah Shahidi: Confident After Toss Win
Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi confirmed an unchanged playing XI from their thrilling win over England.
Shahidi on the Decision to Bat First
“We will bat first because the wicket looks good; it’s a used pitch, England and Australia already played on this pitch, so it will slow down in the second half, and hopefully, our spinners will come into play.”
He also highlighted their game plan against Australia, saying, “We were happy with the performance in our last game; we also have made plans against Australia and hopefully can rectify the mistakes we made against England.”
Steve Smith: Would Have Bowled First
Australia skipper Steve Smith mentioned he would have preferred to bowl first, considering the overhead conditions and the dew factor.
“All the guys are doing good, should be a good contest. Coming here with good intent and aggression and ready to get started,” said Smith.
Playing XIs
Afghanistan XI:
- Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk)
- Ibrahim Zadran
- Sediqullah Atal
- Rahmat Shah
- Hashmatullah Shahidi (captain)
- Azmatullah Omarzai
- Mohammad Nabi
- Gulbadin Naib
- Rashid Khan
- Noor Ahmad
- Fazalhaq Farooqi
Australia XI:
- Matthew Short
- Travis Head
- Steve Smith (captain)
- Marnus Labuschagne
- Josh Inglis
- Alex Carey (wk)
- Glenn Maxwell
- Ben Dwarshuis
- Nathan Ellis
- Adam Zampa
- Spencer Johnson