Afghan skipper eyes redemption

LAHORE: Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi struck a measured tone ahead of Wednesday’s crucial ICC Champions Trophy clash against England, downplaying their famous 2023 World Cup victory and emphasising the need for improved batting performance.

Speaking at the pre-match press conference in Lahore, Shahidi acknowledged the significance of their historic 69-run triumph against England in the ODI World Cup but insisted his team is approaching the upcoming encounter with a fresh perspective.

“We played a great game against England in 2023, but that is history now,” said Shahidi. “We will take the field with a fresh mindset and new preparations. I think we all know that England is one of the best teams. It’s a tough challenge for us, but we are ready.”

After a disappointing 107-run defeat to South Africa in their tournament opener, Afghanistan find themselves in a must-win situation. Shahidi identified batting as the primary area requiring improvement, particularly in the early stages.

“We didn’t play well against South Africa, especially in batting. We didn’t start well in the first 20 overs,” the left-handed batsman admitted. “If we want to reach the semifinals, we have to put in the hard work on the field.”

The Afghan captain expressed optimism that Lahore’s conditions would be more favourable to his team’s spin-heavy attack, which found little assistance in Karachi against South Africa. “Our spinners didn’t get much help in Karachi, but we are hopeful that conditions in Lahore will be in our favour,” said Shahidi. “I didn’t even see one ball turning in our first match. It’s not an excuse, but the world knows that we have good spinners.”

Shahidi also highlighted the valuable input of Pakistan legend Younis Khan, who is part of Afghanistan’s coaching setup for the tournament. “Younis Khan is a legend, and we are trying to benefit from his experience. When he speaks, everyone listens,” Shahidi remarked. “He has played a lot of cricket in Pakistan, and he knows these pitches and grounds well. We will try to use that knowledge to our advantage.”