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Afghanistan have the required expertise however they should discover a option to channelise that constantly to problem England, even of their most susceptible state.
Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi (left) and England skipper Jos Buttler (AP Photograph)
A battered England will hope to maintain their Champions Trophy hopes alive once they face a harmful Afghanistan in a vital group B match in Lahore on Wednesday.
A defeat right here would severely dent each the groups’ desires of a semifinal berth within the event, as South Africa and Australia have already notched up two factors.
The times of England’s white ball supremacy are far behind now, as the previous world champions’ creaking unit even didn’t defend a 350-plus complete in opposition to Australia of their event opener.
Whereas England could take some consolation in posting an enormous complete, the truth is that it got here in opposition to an Australian facet lacking their premier pacers – Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Josh Hazlewood.
The English bowlers then didn’t cease an Australian line-up that didn’t have lead batters corresponding to injured Mitchell Marsh and now-retired Marcus Stoinis.
So, England might want to present huge enchancment in opposition to Afghanistan on each these counts.
Afghanistan’s three-pronged spin assault, consisting Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad and Mohammad Nabi, has the potential to bother even the very best, and England batters’ current outings in opposition to gradual bowlers should not confidence inspiring both.
England additionally suffered a setback as all-rounder Brydon Carse has been dominated out of the event with a toe harm. He has been changed by leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed in an effort to strengthen their spin division.
This transfer will even present Adil Rashid with correct backing, as, till now, Liam Livingstone had been performing that function together with his combined bag of off-spin, leg-spin, and seam-up deliveries.
However England’s actual downside lies within the patchy type of opener Phil Salt and Harry Brook within the middle-order.
Salt’s solely hundred within the format was in 2022 and since then the Welshman has not likely transformed his begins, typically getting out after a fast 30 or 40.
Brook additionally affords an identical story. The Yorkshire man regarded in prime type in the course of the dwelling ODIs in opposition to Australia final 12 months, hammering 100 and two fifties in a three-match collection.
Nevertheless, Brook has been riddled with self-doubts in opposition to spinners for the reason that tour to India, and fell to Aussie leg-spinner Adam Zampa within the final match.
Now, the 26-year-old must negate three high-quality tweakers in opposition to Afghanistan.
The Afghans, then again, have their very own issues to deal with. They’re coming off a 107-run shellacking by South Africa of their event opener.
They’d reached the semifinals of the T20 World Cup 2024 with virtually the identical set of gamers however the ODI format calls for way more consistency in efficiency and execution of methods.
Afghanistan have the required expertise however they should discover a option to channelise that constantly to problem England, even of their most susceptible state.
For extra in-depth protection of the Champions Trophy, take a look at the most recent Factors Desk to see the place your favourite workforce stands. Keep up to date on the event’s high performers with the Most Runs and Most Wickets leaderboards. Preserve following for all the most recent updates!
Full Squads
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. Reserves: Darwish Rasooli, Bilal Sami.
England: Jos Buttler (c), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Tom Banton, Harry Brook, Rehan Ahmed, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Jamie Smith, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Saqib Mahmood, Phil Salt, Mark Wooden.
(This story has not been edited by News18 employees and is revealed from a syndicated information company feed – PTI)
- Location :
Lahore, Pakistan