Australia, Afghanistan clash for CT semifinal spot today

LAHORE: Australia will face one of the rapidly growing Asian cricket giants Afghanistan in a crucial encounter for the semifinal berth of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy here at the Gaddafi Stadium on Friday.

The atmosphere between them heats up in the backdrop of the fact that both the teams have fought hard to beat England fair and square in their previous league matches. Afghanistan will enter the contest riding high on confidence after their stunning eight-run victory over England on Wednesday — their second consecutive ODI win against the English side. Ibrahim Zadran’s record-breaking 177, the highest individual score in Champions Trophy history, powered Afghanistan to a memorable win that has kept their semifinal hopes alive.

Australia, meanwhile, ended their ODI losing streak with a five-wicket triumph over England last Saturday. Their subsequent match against South Africa was abandoned without a ball bowled due to rain in Rawalpindi, leaving them fresh but with limited recent match practice.

Australia have won all four previous ODI encounters against Afghanistan. Afghanistan did defeat Australia in their most recent meeting in T20I cricket during last year’s T20 World Cup, suggesting the gap between the teams is narrowing.

For this encounter, Afghanistan will be relying on the form of Ibrahim Zadran following his record-breaking innings while all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai, who claimed 5/58 against England, provides crucial balance. Veteran Mohammad Nabi has been consistent with the ball, taking two wickets in each game so far and Rashid Khan remains Afghanistan’s premier bowling threat.

As of Australia, Glenn Maxwell, who previously produced a memorable innings against Afghanistan, could be the difference-maker. Travis Head and Steven Smith bring experience and reliability to the batting lineup. Ben Dwarshuis, however, leads the pace attack and Adam Zampa has historically performed well against Afghanistan.

The Gaddafi Stadium has lived up to its reputation as a batsman’s paradise during this tournament, with all four innings played there exceeding 300 runs. Teams batting first have a slight historical advantage at this venue, with 36 wins compared to 33 for chasing sides across 71 ODIs.

However, weather could play spoilsport with forecasts predicting rain throughout Friday in Lahore. Rain probability ranges between 40-70 percent, potentially affecting play or resulting in a shortened game.

For both the teams, the equation is simple. The winner secures a semifinal berth. For Afghanistan, defeat means elimination, while Australia could still advance with a loss depending on the outcome of the South Africa-England match.

While Afghanistan’s recent giant-killing exploits have turned heads, Australia’s greater experience and batting depth give them a slight edge. Expect a closely fought contest that could go down to the wire, with Australia’s superior batting firepower potentially making the difference.

Teams: Afghanistan: Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Ikram Alikhil, Gulbadin Naib, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Nangyal Kharoti,

Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Farid Malik, Naveed Zadran. Australia: Steve Smith (c), Sean Abbott, Alex Carey, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Aaron Hardie, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Tanveer Sangha, Matthew Short, Adam Zampa.