Afghanistan achieved a stunning victory over England by 8 runs in the Champions Trophy in Lahore, marking their second win against England in an ICC event. Former Pakistan captain Younis Khan mentored Afghanistan, declining financial compensation, having previously turned down an offer to assist the Pakistan cricket team. The Afghanistan Cricket Board’s CEO, Naseeb Khan, highlighted the need for experienced mentorship from the host country. Afghanistan aims for another upset against Australia to secure a semi-finals spot. Coach Jonathan Trott expressed confidence from recent encounters with Australia, emphasizing that Afghanistan is no longer viewed as an underestimated team.
On Wednesday, Afghanistan accomplished another remarkable feat by defeating England by 8 runs in their important Champions Trophy match in Lahore. This marks Afghanistan’s second victory over England at an event organized by the International Cricket Council (ICC), having previously triumphed over them at the 2023 ODI World Cup in India. During that time, former India all-rounder Ajay Jadeja served as their mentor without any fee. This time, Afghanistan has brought in former Pakistan captain Younis Khan as their mentor for the tournament, and like Jadeja, Younis is also volunteering his time without financial compensation.
Recently, former Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Rashid Latif disclosed that Younis chose to mentor Afghanistan instead of working with the Pakistan cricket team.
“Younis Khan declined the offer from Pakistan cricket to work with Afghanistan. There will be no financial incentives involved,” Latif stated during a Geo News segment titled ‘Haarna Mana Hai’.
Prior to the Champions Trophy, Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) CEO Naseeb Khan shared insights regarding Younis’s appointment.
“Given that the Champions Trophy is hosted in Pakistan, it was essential to appoint a knowledgeable and seasoned player as a mentor from the host nation. Our previous experiences with mentors from host countries during the ODI World Cup 2023 and T20I World Cup 2024 were very effective,” Khan mentioned at the time of Younis’s selection.
For the record, Afghanistan also engaged former West Indies captain Dwayne Bravo as their mentor for the T20 World Cup last year.
Afghanistan’s next challenge is against Australia on Friday. Should they succeed in pulling off another surprise, they will secure a spot in the semi-finals without relying on other game outcomes.
As they prepare for their crucial match against Australia, coach Trott emphasized that Afghanistan will draw confidence from their previous strong performances against the Australians in recent World Cup events.
“Since I became coach, we have faced Australia three times and have been competitive in each of those matches. Therefore, we should carry a lot of confidence from that experience.”
“I believe that what transpired during the World Cup and T20 World Cup shows that Afghanistan will no longer be underestimated,” Trott articulated at the post-match press briefing.
“I anticipate every game we play to be competitive, and as we enter each match, I expect to achieve victory,” added the Englishman.
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