Lahore: Afghanistan won the toss and elected to bat first against Australia in their crucial Champions Trophy encounter at Gaddafi Stadium here on Friday.
Afghanistan Captain Hasmatullah Shahidi said, "We have decided to bat first because it’s a used pitch, and we expect it to slow down in the second half, bringing our spinners into play. We were pleased with our performance against England, and we have plans against Australia to rectify any mistakes from that game. We are fielding the same team."
The conditions are pleasant, with a maximum temperature of 19 degrees Celsius. Despite heavy rain yesterday, the outfield is in good shape, and the chances of rain have now dropped to 25 percent. A steady wind is blowing across the stadium, which could play a role in seam movement. The pitch has proven to be a high-scoring one, with 300+ totals recorded in all four previous matches held here.
According to experts Ian Bishop and Matthew Hayden, the pitch is well-prepared for a run-fest, but seamers may get assistance from back-of-length deliveries, as demonstrated by Azmatullah Omarzai in the previous game. The dimensions of the ground vary, with 72m to one side, 63m to the other, and 75m down the ground. Captains will have to plan carefully to contain opposition batters in both innings.
Australia, despite their dominance in world cricket, appear somewhat disinterested in this tournament, having left out their frontline players. Josh Inglis and Alex Carey stepped up in their last match, helping Australia chase down a record target against England. While their bowling attack looks inexperienced, they still have enough firepower to pose a challenge.
Afghanistan, on the other hand, enter this game with high confidence after a historic victory over England. Ibrahim Zadran registered the highest individual score in Champions Trophy history, while Omarzai’s five-wicket haul sealed the win, eliminating England from the tournament. Their strategy remains clear: let one batsman anchor the innings while the others play aggressively around him, and then rely on their worldclass spinners to dominate the second innings.
Playing XIs
Australia: Matthew Short, Travis Head, Steven Smith (c), Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis, Alex Carey (wk), Glenn Maxwell, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa, Spencer Johnson.
Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi.
