Afghanistan vs England Live Score Updates Champions Trophy: ENG, AFG Face-Off In Virtual Knockout Clash
English speedster, Jofra ArcherĀ is down for a chat.Ā Jofra says that it is all about picking wickets in the Powerplay and you hope that the spinners then come in and chip in with a couple of wickets as well and by the halfway mark, you get to know what’s working on the deck. Adds that pace is pace but in the last game, the balls weren’t even getting above waist height.
Jos Buttler, the skipper of England, says that he feels good about bowling first as the dew came in the last game. Adds that they would have batted first as well as it looks like a really good wicket and now they have to put up a good performance today. Informs that there is only one change as Jamie OvertonĀ comes in place of injured Brydon Carse. Mentions that the seamers have good skills and the expectations are always high from them to deliver.
The skipper of Afghanistan, Hashmatullah ShahidiĀ has won the toss and he has elected to BAT first. Hasmat says the wicket looks good and they hope the surface turns in the second innings. Reckons that they are not expecting dew because of the overcast conditions and the pitch gets slow and will support their spinners. Mentions that they had a discussion about the areas where they need to bowl in this contest. Informs they are unchanged.
England (Playing XI) – Ben Duckett, Phil Salt, Jamie Smith (WK), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jos Buttler (C), Liam Livingstone, Jamie Overton (In for Brydon Carse), Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood.
Afghanistan (Unchanged XI) – Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (C), Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi.
TOSS – The flip of the coin lands in favor of Afghanistan. Hashmatullah ShahidiĀ opts to BAT first.
PITCH REPORT –Ā Nasser Hussain is pitchside. Starts by saying that conditions are ideal at the moment but there is a bit of rain forecast later on. Adds that this pitch has moved a couple of pitches from the Australia-England game. Michael Atherton joins him and says that Lahore was expected to be a high-scoring venue and it has proven to be just that and this pitch is no exception. Reckons that this ground has the least amount of turn and it should stay that way.
The pitch is expected to be a batting paradise, with scores of 300+ being par. However, overcast conditions and the possibility of rain could bring seamers into play early on, making the first ten overs crucial for both teams. If rain intervenes, a shortened match could make things even more unpredictable. Donāt go anywhere as the toss and playing XI arenāt far away!
With Group B wide open, this match holds immense importance for both sides. EnglandĀ haveĀ a clear equation, win both remaining matches, and they reach the semi-finals,Ā lose today, and they are out. AfghanistanĀ faceĀ the same situation, only back-to-back wins will secure their place in the semis, while a defeat will send them packing. Given their history, AfghanistanĀ will believe they can cause another upset, while EnglandĀ will be eager to prove that their 2023 loss was just a one-off.
Afghanistan, too, areĀ coming off a tough loss to South Africa, where their batting collapsed against the Proteasā pace attack. Rahmat ShahĀ was the lone warrior, falling just short of a century, while the rest of the lineup struggled. Their strength lies in their world-class spin trio of Noor Ahmad, Rashid Khan, and Mohammad Nabi, but they looked out of rhythm in the last game. They will need to replicate their 2023 World Cup performance against England, where they spun a web around the English batters. The onus will also be on openers Rahmanullah GurbazĀ and Ibrahim Zadran, who have shown promise but need to deliver under pressure in this high-stakes encounter.
Englandās tournament haveĀ started on a disappointing note, losing to Australia despite posting over 350 runs. Their bowling was below par, failing to defend a massive total, and now they face another setback with Brydon Carse ruled out due to a toe injury, with Rehan AhmedĀ replacing him in the squad. The English openers, especially Ben Duckett, who smashed a brilliant century, have looked solid, but the middle order has underperformed, with Harry BrookĀ and captain Jos ButtlerĀ needing to step up in this must-win match. Bowling remains a concern, and Adil RashidĀ will once again be key in the middle overs to contain Afghanistanās batters and provide crucial breakthroughs.
Hello and welcome to Match 8 of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, where EnglandĀ takeĀ on AfghanistanĀ at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. This clash is a virtual knockout game, as a loss for either side would eliminate them from semi-final contention, following the washout between South Africa and Australia. These two teams have faced off in the last three ICC World Cups, with EnglandĀ winning in 2015 and 2019, but AfghanistanĀ stunned them in the 2023 World Cup in India, where England’s batting crumbled against Afghanistanās spin attack. With a place in the semi-finals on the line, expect a thrilling contest between these two determined sides.
… MATCH DAY …Ā
The 2025 edition of the ICC Champions Trophy is up and running and we have already seen some surprises in the competition and with half of the group stage fixtures still remaining, we have already got our first two semifinalists in the form of India and New Zealand from Group A. However, Group B is a different story and in Match 8 of the competition, it will be Afghanistan taking on England in a do-or-die clash at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. With both teams having lost their opening encounters, a loss here and it could be all over. Having said that, both teams might have lost their first games, but they did so in contrasting fashions and have different areas of the game to improve upon. Afghanistan were demolished by the South African bowling attack whereas, it was the batting from Australia that inflicted defeat upon England after having put on a monumental total on the board themselves. Also, when these two teams last met in an ICC ODI event, it was the ODI World Cup of 2023 in India which England would like to forget and on that occasion, it was Afghanistan that came out on top and in the recent series against India, England had their struggles against spin which will instill belief into the Afghans that they can do it again. However, England did bat pretty well in their first game with Ben Duckett scoring a blazing 165, taking his side to above the 350-run mark. Joe Root also showed why he still is England’s best batter in sub-continental conditions with a fine knock of his own but the middle order couldn’t quite deliver as Harry Brook continued his poor run of form. Their bowling though was a big let down and they had opportunities at different stages of the game to get on top of proceedings but failed to do so and only Adil Rashid was the one shining light. With Brydon Carse now ruled out of the tournament and Rehan Ahmed in as his replacement, we might see them play and extra spinner. Afghanistan, on the other hand, conceded too many runs in their last game and their bowling attack wasn’t as lethal as expected and they certainly need someone to aid Fazalhaq Farooqi with the new ball from the other end like Naveen ul Haq used to. Also, they generally win matches when that opening pair fires and they need at least one of Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran to give them that start at the top which then the middle order can build on. That spin trio of Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad and Mohammad Nabi will be crucial as usual but they need the batters to do their job as well if they are to get the win. All in all, two wounded teams who will be disappointed with their previous performances but will have a chance to usher in a new dawn and bolster their hopes of making it through the group stages. Who do you think will come out on top?
