Afghanistan and Australia are set to face off in the 10th match of Group B in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore. Afghanistan has won the toss and elected to bat first, hoping to take advantage of the used pitch, which they expect to slow down in the second innings.
Captains’ Take at the Toss
Hashmatullah Shahidi (Afghanistan Captain):
“We will bat first because the wicket looks good. It’s a used pitch, with England and Australia already playing on it, so it should slow down in the second half, and hopefully, our spinners will come into play. We were happy with our last game’s performance and have made plans against Australia. Hopefully, we can rectify the mistakes made against England.”
Steven Smith (Australia Captain):
“We would have bowled first anyway, given the uncertain overhead conditions and the dew factor later on. The team is feeling good and prepared for a tough contest. We are playing with the same XI.”
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.
Match Overview
The match begins with Spencer Johnson opening the attack for Australia as Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran walk in to open the batting for Afghanistan. Two slips are in place, and a strong crowd is waiting in anticipation for an electrifying contest.