Afghan captain confident ahead of SA match

KARACHI: Afghanistan cricket team captain Hashmatullah Shahidi says that they have the potential to reach the knockout stage of the Champions Trophy.

“As a captain I am confident and hopeful that we will play well,” he said while talking to the media in Karachi at National stadium on Thursday. “We are fully prepared for the matches. Our team is not under pressure. Our goal is to win the final, we have been playing good cricket for the last 2 years,” Shahidi said.

The captain said that they were ready for Friday’s match against South Africa. He recalled that Afghanistan cricket team won the ODI series against South Africa 2-1 in Sharjah last year. “Thus, we are not under pressure against them,” he said.

“Media shows that we do not have facilities in Afghanistan, but this is not the case at all, the reality is that we have academies and stadiums,” Shahidi said. He said he expects teams to come to Afghanistan soon. “The grounds are completely filled in our domestic matches and when international teams come, they will know how much our people love cricket,” he added.

When asked about the pressure of facing South Africa, given Afghanistan’s record of only two wins in five One Day Internationals (ODIs) against them since 2019, Shahidi remained unfazed.

“Between 2019 and now, there’s too much difference,” he said. “We recently beat them 2-1 in Sharjah, so we have that confidence with us. We are not under pressure. Right now, we are focusing on what we can do in this tournament, and I believe our team is more ready than ever.”

Shahidi also dismissed concerns about the team’s preparation, despite a loss in their warm-up match against New Zealand. “Our aim in the warm-up games was to give everyone a chance and get them used to the conditions. We were not looking for results,” he explained. “We had a camp in Dubai and are totally prepared. These conditions are suitable for us, and I am confident we can make it to the next round.”

The Afghanistan captain highlighted the overwhelming support from Afghan and Pashtun fans in Karachi, calling it a source of motivation. “There are a lot of Afghans and Pashtuns here who support us. Yesterday, there was a big crowd chanting for Rashid (Khan) and (Mohammad) Nabi. It feels good and gives us confidence,” he said.

Shahidi emphasized that Afghanistan is not just participating in the tournament but is here to compete and win. “Our aim is to win the final. We are not here just to participate. We have played a lot of quality cricket over the last two years, and the boys are very experienced. These conditions suit us, and we have a good chance. Let’s start it from tomorrow and hopefully carry the momentum throughout the tournament,” he said.