Sport
Bavuma wary of Afghanistan challenge in Champions Trophy
Bavuma said Afghanistan would draw confidence from that series going into their Group B encounter.
South Africa captain Temba Bavuma warned his team they will need to be at their best against Afghanistan in their opening game of the Champions Trophy in Karachi on Friday.
It will be the first meeting between the countries since Afghanistan beat South Africa 2-1 in a one-day series in Sharjah last September.
Bavuma said Afghanistan would draw confidence from that series going into their Group B encounter.
“They are a highly competitive team,” said Bavuma as reported by AFP. “I think they’ve got a lot of experience within their team.
“Guys who have that international pedigree at least from a skill point of view and we have to bring out our A-game.”
“We played against them mid-to-late last year and they were victorious, so they won’t be short of any type of confidence coming into the game tomorrow but in terms of preparations we have ticked all the boxes,” he added.
South Africa will be at full strength with Marco Jansen, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs and Rassie van der Dussen all available, having sat out the recent tri-series in Pakistan.
Despite losing to Pakistan and New Zealand in that series, Bavuma felt his team has prepared well.
“We understand, you know, the Champions Trophy is a little bit different, it’s almost like every game is a knockout type of thing and our mindset really is to make sure that we pitch up and play our best game of cricket,” said Bavuma.
“Hopefully we’re playing five games and not three games of cricket in this tournament. I think most importantly, we win the moments that matter.”
Australia and England are the other two teams in Group B, with Pakistan, India, New Zealand and Bangladesh in Group A.
The top two teams from each group will qualify for the semi-finals.
South Africa won the inaugural Champions Trophy — then named the ICC Knock-Out Trophy — in Bangladesh in 1998.
But they have since fallen short in major tournaments, often losing in the knock-out rounds, and earning the tag of “chokers”.
They lost in the semi-finals of the ODI World Cup in India in 2023 and were runners-up to India in last year’s T20 World Cup held in the United States and the West Indies.
Bavuma dismissed fears the long title drought would weigh on the minds of the players.
“There’s no negativity from the fact that we haven’t been able to be successful in other ICC events or editions,” said Bavuma.
“But there is a lot more positivity and confidence in terms of our ability or how far we can go within the tournament.”
Afghanistan will face South Africa in Karachi on Friday. The match will begin at 1:30 p.m.
Cricket fans across the country can watch all Champions Trophy matches live on Ariana Television.
For updates, fixtures and schedules be sure to follow Ariana Television and Ariana News’ digital platforms.
Sport
Afghanistan, Uzbekistan set for friendly cricket clash in Khost
The match will be played during a cricket league, and is part of the Cricket Development Support Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the ACB and the Cricket Federation of Uzbekistan in December last year.
The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has announced that it will host Uzbekistan’s national cricket team for a one-off T20 international on July 10 at the Rahmat Wali Masroori Cricket Ground in Khost province.
According to the ACB, the match will be played during a cricket league, and is part of the Cricket Development Support Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the ACB and the Cricket Federation of Uzbekistan in December last year.
The friendly match is scheduled to begin at 9:00 AM, with an Afghan XI taking on the visiting Uzbek side. The game will be broadcast live across Afghanistan and internationally through various linear and digital platforms.
Quoted by the ACB, Chief Executive Officer Naseeb Khan said the board remains committed to supporting emerging cricket nations such as Uzbekistan and is ready to extend similar assistance to other countries seeking to develop the sport.
He noted that the ACB has already organized capacity-building programs and training workshops for members of the Cricket Federation of Uzbekistan, while several Uzbek fast bowlers also participated in the ACB’s specialized Fast Bowling Camp last year.
Khan added that Uzbekistan has consistently maintained a friendly policy toward Afghanistan and that the two countries have strengthened cooperation in healthcare, politics, and trade in recent years. He said closer collaboration in cricket development would further deepen relations between the two neighboring nations.
Sport
Serbian Dejan Dedovic appointed head coach of Afghanistan national futsal team
Dedovic will lead Afghanistan’s preparations for upcoming regional and international competitions, overseeing the team’s technical development and training programs.
The Afghanistan Football Federation (AFF) has appointed Serbian coach Dejan Dedovic as the new head coach of the national futsal team on a two-year contract.
The agreement was signed during a ceremony attended by AFF officials, futsal committee members, technical staff, and sports journalists.
Dedovic will lead Afghanistan’s preparations for upcoming regional and international competitions, overseeing the team’s technical development and training programs.
The federation also announced several additions to the national team’s coaching staff. Iran’s Javad Asghari Moqaddam has been appointed technical director, while Morteza Mansour Samaei will serve as goalkeeping coach. Spain’s Uriel Masana has joined as assistant coach, Iran’s Sadeq Amani as fitness coach, and Brazil’s Joao Lira as team analyst.
In addition, the AFF renewed the contract of Mohammad Nasir Sedaqat as manager of the national futsal team.
The federation said it expects the newly assembled coaching staff to contribute to the continued development of Afghan futsal and strengthen the team’s competitiveness at the regional and international levels.
Sport
India clinch ODI series against Afghanistan
The India national cricket team defeated Afghanistan in the third and final One Day International (ODI), sealing the series with a 9-wicket victory and lifting the series trophy.
Afghanistan won the toss in the final match and opted to bat first.
Batting first, Afghanistan were bowled out for 218 in 44.2 overs, setting India a target of 219 runs.
Hashmatullah Shahidi played a superb innings, scoring 102 runs off 131 deliveries, anchoring the Afghan batting effort.
In reply, India made light work of the chase, reaching 219 for the loss of just one wicket in 28.4 overs, completing a dominant run chase.
India had already taken an unassailable lead in the series by winning the first ODI by 7 wickets and the second by 170 runs, before sealing a comprehensive 3–0 series sweep in the final match.
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