UPDATE: Due to heavy rainfall, Australia will likely advance to the semi-finals and win this matchup.
Afghanistan are in with an exciting chance of pulling off an historic victory over one of the most accomplished men’s cricket teams ever seen, though playing under an atmosphere of political unease.
In this article, we will discuss the main points or high lights of Afghanistan National Cricket Team vs Australian Men’s Cricket Team Standings.
| Category | Afghanistan | Australia |
|---|---|---|
| Top Batter | Rahmanullah Gurbaz – 60 (49 balls) | Glenn Maxwell – 59 (41 balls) |
| Top Bowler | Gulbadin Naib – 4/20 in 4 overs | Pat Cummins – 3/28 in 4 overs |
| Support Bowler | Naveen-ul-Haq – 3/20 in 4 overs | Adam Zampa – 2/28 in 4 overs |
| All-Round Contribution | Gulbadin Naib – 4 wickets; impactful fielding | Marcus Stoinis – 1 wicket; 10 runs |
Afghanistan vs Australia
At Gadaffi Stadium in Lahore, Group B comes to its climax as Afghanistan faces off against one of ICC history’s most successful teams, Australia. Both are competing for one semifinal spot each, making this fixture highly-charged; these sides have already met in some thrilling ICC matches this tournament and both sides have displayed plenty of heart.
Afghanistan entered this match full of confidence after their stunning win against England on Wednesday – their first since suffering defeat against South Africa in their tournament opener. Prior to that loss, however, Afghanistan proved themselves worthy qualifiers by winning four consecutive bilateral series against Ireland, South Africa, Bangladesh, and Zimbabwe.
Hashmatullah Shahidi won the toss and decided to play to their team’s strengths by electing to bat first. They initially struggled but Sediqullah Atal’s counter-attacking innings helped guide them to an impressive total of 270 runs. Australia’s spinners did their part to pick up wickets regularly but weren’t as effective.
Adam Zampa secured the final wicket in the 46th over when he dismissed Rahmat Shah after he hit a short ball to deep midwicket and Inglis made an excellent diving catch – another important wicket for hosts who were in danger of collapsing under pressure.
As soon as the rain stops falling, play will resume as scheduled. Both teams will do everything in their power to avoid a washout which would have serious repercussions for their chances of progressing to the semifinals. An Australian victory will ensure their qualification, while a draw could force Afghanistan into needing to defeat South Africa decisively in their next match in order to remain relevant. Both teams appear eager to play aggressive cricket during this match-up and an exciting finish is anticipated! The match will kick off at 2:30 PM local time. Tune into Al Jazeera for live photo and text commentary stream as well as YouTube here to watch it live! The logo for this event depicts two national flowers of Afghanistan and Australia entwined around a cricket ball – red tulips and golden wattles respectively.
Venue
At Gaddafi Stadium in a rain-affected game between Australia and Afghanistan, both teams shared one point each. Australia advanced with four points while Afghanistan would need England’s victory against South Africa tomorrow to make up for their poor net run rate in this tournament.
Australia was leading at 109/1 when play was abandoned after 12.5 overs due to rain; this was the first such match abandoned at Champions Trophy and weather conditions are anticipated to improve for remaining group matches and Sunday’s final.
Hashmatullah Shahidi won the toss and decided to bat first on what appeared to be another batter-friendly surface. Sediqullah Atal anchored Afghanistan’s innings with an excellent 85 off 95 balls while Azmatullah Omarzai hit an unbeaten 67 from 63 deliveries to help Afghanistan score 273 on their scorecard. Australia managed to make some headway before adverse weather intervened, reaching an acceptable position before being bowled over by their rival.
Australia were comfortably leading after 12.5 overs when rain and poor light forced play to be abandoned, leaving both teams fighting to secure their places in the semi-finals. They will reconvene at the same venue on Friday.
Australia and Afghanistan will both look to build on their strong performances at the Champions Trophy, each possessing players capable of performing against more experienced rivals. Furthermore, this match will also act as an important test for Afghan rising star wicketkeeper-batsman Ibrahim Zadran who has had an exceptional tournament run so far.
Australia arrived at this tournament following a dismal run of form, yet immediately made amends with an impressive victory against old rival England in their opening fixture. Now they will look to repeat that performance against Afghanistan who have shown no sign of slowing down either, likely sticking with their winning XIs in what could be an intense and high-scoring encounter between spinner-powered spinner-reliant sides.
Predictions
Afghanistan will need to beat Australia to advance to the semi-finals of the ICC Champions Trophy. Unfortunately, however, both nations face ongoing political tensions that threaten to cloud this match’s outcome. Additionally, this marks the first official one-day international between Afghanistan and Australia since 2012 when Afghanistan played against Australia as an affiliate nation but were allowed to play despite an attempted Taliban takeover of their nation.
Both teams are unbeaten in their group stage matches, making this contest an absolute must-win. Australia are in good shape to advance to the semi-finals while Afghanistan remain dependent on an unlikely victory if they want any chance at qualifying. It will take place at Sharjah and is sure to attract an immense audience.
Rain-drenched tournament, both teams remain undefeated in their group stages and will compete to finish at the top. Australia hold a four-point advantage over South Africa heading into their final game; victory over Afghanistan could secure them a semi-final spot and bring about their triumphant return home!
Australian players will need to keep an eye on their Net Run Rate during this match, as a defeat could see them slip down into third place. They must also hope South Africa loses by more than 207 runs against England or else their NRR could fall below Afghanistan’s.
As the weather continued to worsen, umpires decided it was unsafe for cricket to continue and both teams left the pitch after shaking hands and acknowledging its conclusion.
No matter the controversy surrounding cricket in Afghanistan, many find great solace and hope from it as an outlet of motivation and resilience for a country which has endured great difficulty. Cricket unifies people living in areas which have witnessed violence and instability and is now an exciting global competition – this coming game against Australia presents another chance to showcase Afghanistan’s talent, passion and determination!
Scorecard
Afghanistan-Australia match was not only pivotal to both teams but was an eye-opener to cricket lovers worldwide. Afghans showed no fear when taking on one of cricket’s greats – Australia. Their courageous performance earned many neutral supporters who cheered them against Australia.
Hashmatullah Shahidi won the toss and elected to bat first, following their strength by opting to bat against Australian spinners. Sediqullah Atal dominated in an aggressive innings versus their spinners but fell just short of scoring his ton. Ben Dwarshuis and Spencer Johnson kept regular wickets.
Australia had every chance to win this matchup but their batsmen fell short as they struggled to generate runs. Travis Head seemed poised for an incredible total but was hit in the helmet by Gulbadin Naib during his innings and collapsed to the ground, prompting an emergency evacuation via stretcher before play was ultimately called off due to rain.
As it was an emotional decision to call off this game, Afghanistan were left disappointed after failing to advance to the semi-finals with a huge win that could have cemented their place amongst the favorites for further progression in this tournament. A victory would also have sent out a powerful message that unity can still exist amid difficult political circumstances in Afghanistan and that its players can compete against world’s finest cricket players; only time will tell before Afghanistan become one of cricket’s major powers!
Australia will now face South Africa in their final group game on Friday. A win by South Africa would secure them a spot in the semifinals; should they lose, however, Bangladesh must defeat India with ease to have any chance at all of qualifying for last four. Should Bangladesh manage this feat themselves then there is also an outside chance they could reach semifinals as well.