Champions Trophy: Afghanistan Faces Australia in Pivotal Virtual Quarter-Final

Lahore, Feb 27 (NationPress) Afghanistan and Australia are gearing up for a crucial virtual quarter-final at the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Lahore on Friday, with both teams competing for a coveted spot in the semi-finals.

The significance of this match cannot be overstated. The team that loses this Group B encounter is likely to face elimination, depending on the outcome of the England-South Africa match in Karachi. A victory for either squad, however, would significantly enhance their chances of reaching the semi-finals, where they would meet either India or New Zealand.

For years, Afghanistan has been viewed as an emerging force in international cricket, but recent performances have solidified their reputation as serious contenders. Their remarkable victory over England on Wednesday night has brought them within striking distance of the semi-finals in their inaugural Champions Trophy.

Friday's match against Australia is another chance for them to prove their mettle on the world stage. Their confidence is buoyed by their historic win over the Aussies in the T20 World Cup last year, marking their first-ever triumph over the five-time world champions.

This victory, along with a vital win against Bangladesh, eliminated Australia from the tournament and confirmed that Afghanistan is a formidable force in international cricket.

Afghanistan's batting lineup will once again be spearheaded by Ibrahim Zadran, whose spectacular 177-run performance against England is now the highest individual score in Champions Trophy history. Alongside him, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Hashmatullah Shahidi will provide crucial stability, while the ever-potent Rashid Khan will lead the spin attack, giving Afghanistan all the necessary tools to challenge Australia.

For Australia, this Champions Trophy represents a chance for redemption following a series of inconsistent performances in ICC events. While they won the ODI World Cup last year, their T20 World Cup campaign was disappointing, and they have yet to establish themselves in this edition of the Champions Trophy.

Australia's campaign has been affected by the absence of their star pace trio - Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, and Mitchell Starc - all missing due to injury and workload management. This gap was evident in their opening game against England, where the bowling attack struggled to contain a total exceeding 350 runs. Nevertheless, Australia managed to chase it down, aided by a counterattacking century from Josh Inglis.

With their semi-final aspirations at stake, Steve Smith's team will rely on their young bowlers - Ben Dwarshuis, Spencer Johnson, and Nathan Ellis - to rise to the occasion. Adam Zampa, the seasoned leg-spinner, will play a pivotal role in capitalizing on the conditions in Lahore.

On the batting front, Australia boasts a powerful lineup, featuring talents like Travis Head, Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, and Glenn Maxwell. Notably, Maxwell has a history of troubling Afghanistan, having delivered one of the finest ODI innings against them in the 2023 ODI World Cup. His stunning double-century in Mumbai rescued Australia from a precarious position and propelled them toward another ICC title.

There’s a chance of rain in Lahore on Friday, which could complicate the qualification scenarios further. If the match is washed out, Australia will qualify for the semi-finals due to their superior net run rate, while Afghanistan would be left hoping for an unlikely scenario where England defeats South Africa by a significant margin.

However, if the match proceeds as scheduled, both teams will strive to seize control of their destinies. For Afghanistan, the objective is straightforward: win and earn a historic semi-final spot. On the flip side, Australia's chances would be severely compromised if they were to lose to Hashmatullah Shahidi's squad. In that scenario, their only chance would hinge on England delivering a sizable victory over South Africa, adversely affecting the Proteas' net run rate.

For example, if Australia falls short by just one run while pursuing a 300-run target against Afghanistan, England would then need to win by 87 runs against South Africa - while chasing the same target - for the Proteas' net run rate to dip below that of Australia. While this scenario isn’t impossible, it is certainly improbable.

When: February 28, Friday

Where: Gaddafi Stadium

Time: The match is set to commence at 2:30 pm IST, with the toss occurring at 2 pm.

Broadcast details: The match will be broadcast live on Star Sports Network.

Live Streaming: The match can be streamed live on JioHotstar.

Squads:

Australia: Matthew Short, Travis Head, Steven Smith(c), Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis(w), Alex Carey, Glenn Maxwell, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa, Spencer Johnson, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Aaron Hardie, Sean Abbott, Tanveer Sangha.

Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz(w), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi(c), Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Fareed Ahmad Malik, Ikram Alikhil, Nangeyalia Kharote, Naveed Zadran.