England and Afghanistan will cross swords in Group B of the Champions Trophy in Lahore on Wednesday to stay alive in the competition.
With Tuesday’s match between Australia and South Africa washed out without a ball being bowled, the equations in Group B have become quite straightforward. Australia and South Africa, who won their respective opening games, have 3 points each now. They will need to win their last group games to have a confirmed seat in the semis. But even if they lose, they will still be in contention for qualifying for the last-four stage. Australia play Afghanistan in their last game, while South Africa take on England.
For England and Afghanistan though, Wednesday’s match is a do-or-die contest. Whoever loses, will be knocked out. The victorious side will get a chance to make the semis if they win their last group game.
Given the circumstances and history, the game is likely to be a fiercely contested one. For the Englishmen, it will not be just about survival though, revenge too will perhaps be on their minds. Because the last time the two sides met in an ODI, in the 2023 World Cup, the Afghans had pulled off a stunning 69-run win.
England surely have the stronger team. They had put up a big total against Australia in their last game though they could not defend it. The Afghans have a weaker attack than the Aussies, so England will back themselves to dominate the opposition bowling attack on Wednesday.
Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi hoped that his spinners will be more effective than they were in the game against the Proteas, in which they conceded a 300-plus total.
“When we bat first, that gives us more of a chance,” Shahidi said. “But at the same time, we beat teams in the last World Cup also, batting second. But in the South Africa game, I think the wicket was a little bit more supportive for fast bowling and when our spinners were bowling, there was no support. I didn’t even see one ball turning.
“We didn’t play well, especially in batting we didn’t start well. At the same time, it’s not an excuse, but the world knows that we have good spinners. I didn’t see any support there, but hopefully we have some support in tomorrow’s game for our spinners.”
For England, it’s all about pace. Captain Jos Buttler will hope that the express speed of Jofra Archer and Mark Wood will unsettle the gritty Afghans. But it is their power-packed batting line-up which is England’s main strength. If they bat first, it can be a nightmare for the Afghans.