LAHORE (Kashmir English): With the race for the semifinals in Group B still very much alive, Afghanistan will clash with Australia in the 10th match of the ICC Champions Trophy ODI at Gaddafi Stadium here today.
The match, supposedly to be a quarter final game, is scheduled to be held on February 28th, 2025 at 2:30 pm.
The washed-out Australia-South Africa game on Tuesday kept both Afghanistan and England in contention for the semifinal spots.
On Wednesday, however, the debutant Afghanistan knocked England out of the Champions Trophy competition to keep themselves in race for the final four.
Today’s match between Australia and Afghanistan is being played at a time when the semifinal berths from Group B of the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy are still up for grabs.
The two semifinalists of Group A have already been decided.
Champions Trophy semifinal qualification scenario
So, keeping all this in mind, let’s have a look at the possible qualification scenario in Group B.
Australia just need to win their last match against Afghanistan to secure their place in the final four.
If they lose to Afghanistan, they will be praying for England to beat the South Africa by a big margin to push Proteas net run rate below they have. In that case, Australia will advance at the expense of South Africa.
On the other hand, South Africa has an easier path than Australia to qualify. If Australia wins, that looks pretty possible, against Afghanistan, the South Africa will straightaway qualify for the semifinal before playing their last match.
An in a much exciting scenario, if Afghanistan wins against Australia today, South Africa will have to either win their last game against England or ensure that if they lose, they do not lose by a huge margin. However, it is easier said than done given the firepower in Australia’s batting. Even in that case, the Proteas will leave Australia behind on net run rate.
So, a win for Australia today means they secure their passage to the semifinals of the tournament while eliminating Afghanistan.
In the absence of their three fast bowlers, Australia are expected to produce a strong performance with the bat.
As far as Afghanistan are concerned, their batting will be spearheaded by swashbuckling opener Ibrahim Zadran, whose 177 against England is now the highest individual score in the Champions Trophy.
