Sport
Champions Trophy: Afghanistan’s skipper ‘confident’ ahead of high-stakes match against England
Afghanistan skipper Hashmat Shahidi says Wednesday’s ICC Champions Trophy match against England will be a challenge but that the team “has worked hard to reach the level they are at” and are ready to play every game “with confidence”.
Speaking at a pre-match press conference, he said the team “will try their best to beat them again”. This was in reference to their win over England in 2023.
According to him, the team will try to put in a better effort with the bat in Wednesday’s match after their 107-run defeat against South Africa last week.
For Afghanistan and England this is a high-stakes match as both teams hope for their first win in this tournament.
With India and New Zealand having already booked their berths in the semi-finals from Group A, all eyes will now be on Group B. All four teams – Afghanistan, Australia, South Africa and England – are still in the fray.
Shahidi meanwhile welcomed recent comments by former cricketers and commentators lauding Afghanistan’s achievements but pointed out that even though some experts have said the team stands a good chance of securing a berth in the semifinals they still have to work hard.
Shahidi noted that it was the world’s top eight teams in the tournament and that it was a tough challenge for them. He said: “We have to give our 100%” on the day if we want to beat these teams.
In conclusion, the skipper said while good spin bowlers alone could not win a match, he is sure the team’s batters “will come back stronger” for Wednesday’s game.
Wednesday’s match in Lahore will start at 1:30pm and will be broadcast live and exclusively on Ariana Television. The pre-match show will start at 12:30pm.
Arman FC suffered a 1-0 defeat against Abu Muslim Farah in the 83rd match of the sixth season of Afghanistan Champions League Roshan in Kabul on Wednesday.
Abu Muslim Farah found the back of the net once in the first half, taking a 1-0 lead into the break.
Despite efforts from both sides in the second half, neither team managed to score, and the match ended in a 1-0 victory for Abu Muslim Farah.
Arman FC will face Kabul Istiqlal on November 15 in their final match of the competition, while Abu Muslim Farah will take on Toofan Herat on November 14.
All matches of the sixth season of Afghanistan Champions League Roshan are broadcast live on Ariana Television.
Sorkh Poshan Khafi have mathematically secured the sixth-season Roshan Afghanistan Champions League title after recording a commanding 7-0 victory over Khurasan Faryab in the competition’s 82nd match on Wednesday.
The Herat-based side moved to 47 points from 17 matches, putting the championship beyond the reach of their closest rivals with one fixture still remaining in their campaign.
The title was effectively decided by the result, rather than the conclusion of the competition, as other teams still have matches to play.
Before Wednesday’s encounter, Sorkh Poshan had 44 points, six ahead of second-placed Abu Muslim Farah. Even if Abu Muslim win both of their remaining matches, they can reach only 44 points, leaving Sorkh Poshan uncatchable.
Sorkh Poshan took a 1-0 lead into half-time in Wednesday’s match before producing a devastating second-half display, scoring six additional goals to complete the 7-0 rout.
The victory also confirmed the club’s outstanding consistency throughout the campaign, establishing them as the season’s dominant side.
Sorkh Poshan will play their final league fixture against Omar Zawak on November 15, giving the team an opportunity to finish their campaign on another high note.
Khurasan Faryab, meanwhile, are scheduled to face Sarsabz Yashlar on November 14 as the remaining league fixtures continue.
The sixth season of the Roshan Afghanistan Champions League features 10 clubs competing in a league format, with the title now decided ahead of the final round of matches.
Ariana Radio and Television Network (ATN) broadcasts all matches of the competition live on Ariana Television.
Sport
Historic first for Rahmat Shah after ICC rankings update
It was Rahmat’s fifth Test century of his career and second this year and it helped the 33-year-old jump in front of the likes of India captain Shubman Gill.
Afghanistan captain Rahmat Shah has created history by becoming the first player from his country to enter the top 10 in any category of the ICC Men’s Test Player Rankings.
Rahmat climbs six spots to seventh on the rankings for Test batters following his innings of 173 in the opening match of Afghanistan’s two-game series with Zimbabwe in Sharjah, with the in-form right-hander reaching a new career-high rating in the process.
It was Rahmat’s fifth Test century of his career and second this year and it helped the 33-year-old jump in front of the likes of India captain Shubman Gill, South Africa opener Aiden Markram and Sri Lanka left-hander Kamindu Mendis and earn a spot inside the top 10 for the very first time.
It caps off a good fortnight for Afghanistan, who earlier this month achieved their highest-ever spot on the ICC Men’s ODI Team Rankings when they rose to sixth on the back of a tri-series triumph over Zimbabwe and Bangladesh.
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