Afghanistan and Australia will face each other in the 10th and the most important encounter of the ongoing Champions Trophy on 28th February in Lahore.
Match Preview:
In their most recent ODI, Australia achieved their second-highest run-chase and in their most recent game, Afghanistan successfully defended their fourth-highest innings total. These two sides’ last ODI was an unforgettable match. To put it simply, the build-up to the Afghanistan-Australia ICC Champions Trophy 2025 encounter in Lahore could not have been better.
The fact that two Group B spots are still up for grabs adds to the excitement surrounding this game. This group has already been impacted by weather, an uninvited visitor that can have an impact on multi-team competitions. There are far too many intriguing aspects surrounding this match, which is likely to have a full or partial impact on more matches.
The political spectrum surrounding this match is difficult to ignore, much like Afghanistan’s match against England. Australia, like England, has taken a human rights stance and pledged to suspend bilateral ties while the Taliban remain in power. Last month, Cricket Australia publicly demonstrated its commitment to the cause by hosting a T20 match featuring an Afghanistan women’s XI in Melbourne, bringing the issue back into the spotlight.
Moving back to the encounter, both of the all-rounders Glenn Maxwell and Azmatullah Omarzai will play important roles in the upcoming game of the tournament. Maxwell played an all timer innings against Afghanistan at the 2023 ODI World Cup while Omarzai has been in some form pulling out a miraculous victory for his side against England in the last ODI.
Probable Playing XI:
Australia (possible): 1 Matthew Short, 2 Travis Head, 3 Steven Smith (capt), 4 Marnus Labuschagne, 5 Josh Inglis (wk), 6 Alex Carey, 7 Glenn Maxwell, 8 Sean Abbott/Spencer Johnson, 9 Ben Dwarshuis, 10 Nathan Ellis, 11 Adam Zampa
Afghanistan (possible): 1 Ibrahim Zadran, 2 Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), 3 Sediqullah Atal, 4 Rahmat Shah, 5 Hashmatullah Shahidi (capt), 6 Azmatullah Omarzai, 7 Mohammad Nabi, 8 Gulbadin Naib, 9 Rashid Khan, 10 Noor Ahmad, 11 Fazalhaq Farooqi
Pitch and weather report:
While it has been difficult for pace bowlers, spinners have made an impact despite little turn off the surface. Both teams are now well-accustomed to the conditions in Lahore, which have been batting-friendly.
Rain is a threat again after the washout between Australia and South Africa, though the forecast improves from the late afternoon onward. Drainage may also be a problem because of the amount of rain that has been falling on the ground in the lead-up.
Head-to-head record:
Australia and Afghanistan have faced each other in 4 games thus far and unsurprisingly Australia won all of the games.
Prediction:
Although Afghanistan has played a great brand of cricket in the recent past, Australia are still favourites to win the forthcoming encounter.
Where to watch:
India: Jio Hotstar,
Pakistan: Myco, Tapmad, and Tamasha app
UAE and MENA: STARZPLAY
USA and Canada: Streaming on Willow by Cricbuzz app (Hindi coverage available)
Caribbean: ESPN Play Caribbean app
Australia: PrimeVideo
New Zealand: SkyGo app.
South Africa and sub-Saharan territories: SuperSport and SuperSport App
Bangladesh: Nagorik TV
Afghanistan: ATN
Sri Lanka: Maharaja TV
