well-rounded Afghanan vs clinical Australia

Even before the adrenaline could subside after a heart-stopping, rollercoaster ride against England on Wednesday night in Lahore, Afghanan’s thoughts started to turn toward Australia. Player of the match Ibrahim Zadran, after his record-breaking 177, said it will be important to avoid simple makes when they take on Steve Smith’s men. Sure, knocking out England from the ICC Champions Trophy is a big result for the tournament debutants, but it signified their rise in international cricket that they aren’t just here for these one-off wins. The Afghanan cricket story, inspiring as it is, is not a surprise anymore. On Friday, they will stand with a chance to add another chapter.
World Champions Australia know all too well how difficult it is to face Afghanan. Rewind back to Mumbai on 7 November at the Wankhede Stadium. Both teams had a chance to reach the semifinals, and Afghanan had Australia on the mat. Had Mujeeb Ur Rahman not put down a sitter against Glenn Maxwell, the remainder of the World Cup would have looked a whole lot different. Mujeeb dropped the catch, Maxwell dropped an all-timer with a stunning double century. Afghan hearts were broken while Australia went on to be crowned winners 12 days later in Ahmedabad. Of course, captain Hashmatullah Shahidi was reminded about that Maxwell he in the press conference, and the Afghanan captain smiled.
“You think we will come only to play with Maxwell? Do you think it will be like that?,” he asked. “We will plan for all Australian batters. I know that he played really well in 2023 World Cup, but that’s part of hory. After that, we beat them in T20 World Cup, and we think about all opposition team, we are not coming to the ground to plan on individual player. We are not playing only Maxwell – we are playing Australia.”
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Afghanan’s Azmatullah Omarzai, center, celebrates after winning the ICC Champions Trophy cricket match against England, in Lahore, Pakan, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025. (AP Photo)
Well-rounded Afghanan
Horically, Afghanan have relied on the consency of their spinners led Rashid Khan and flashes of brilliance with the bat to win them matches. But there is a more rounded feel to this side led Shahidi. In Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran, they have openers capable of playing match-changing knocks. In Azmatullah Omarzai, the reigning ICC ODI Men’s Cricketer of the Year, they have a world-class allrounder in the making. His bowling technique which came for praise from Sachin Tendulkar during the World Cup, has evolved into a potent weapon, with hit-the-deck short balls a crucial part of his arsenal apart from the ability to move the new ball either way as the Indian great had noted. In Mohammad Nabi, they have a wily (old) customer capable of providing the big hits in the lower order and getting through his overs of spin with minimum fuss and maximum clarity. Then there are the likes of Gulbadin Naib and Fazalhaq Farooqi, reliable operators capable of putting their hands up when called upon.
The key men, of course, will still be their main spinners, Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmad. Against South Africa in Karachi, they didn’t find much assance from the surface and went for runs. Rashid went wicketless, Noor struggled with his line more than length and was expensive. Against England in Lahore, where there was a little more assance, Nabi, Rashid and Noor were in the game a bit more. It was still the pacers doing the damage in terms of wickets, but the spin trio could apply some dot ball pressure at critical times.
Weather threat
With the Gadaffi Stadium being the venue once again, the pressure will firmly on the bowlers from both sides. Australia’s bowling unit, severely depleted in terms of star power, conceded 351 before it was chased down. Afghanan conceded 317 in their defence of 325. But there is forecast of rain in Lahore on Friday, especially during the daytime. Australia’s game-time (with their match against South Africa in Rawalpindi rained out without toss) and training schedule has been curtailed because of the bad weather, but a washout in this virtual quarterfinal will be enough for Australia to qualify. Afghanan will need Qudrat ka Nizam on their side as they must win a completed match to progress.
Afghanan coach Jonathan Trott made it clear he doesn’t see this as a match of unequals anymore, no David vs Goliath narrative here. After all, Afghanan have pushed Australia to their limits in the last three ICC meetings, even defeating them at the 2024 T20 WC. “I say this to the players as well… that Afghanan’s never going to be taken lightly ever again,” Trott said. “We’ve got to be prepared because I know Australia aren’t going to take us lightly. Whereas in the past, perhaps people would have seen the fixture and thought it was a little bit easier than playing a horic Test Nation. But in this format, in these conditions, I don’t see that. I see every game that we play is going to be competitive and every game we go into I expect to win.”

Vinayakk Mohanarangan is Senior Assant Editor and is based in New Delhi. … Read More