Afghanistan’s cricket captain, Hashmatullah Shahidi, expressed confidence in his team’s readiness for the Champions Trophy, following their recent win against South Africa. Despite missing spinner AM Ghazanfar due to injury, Afghanistan boasts strong spin options and significant crowd support in Karachi. Shahidi emphasized their aim to win the tournament, drawing on recent success in the T20 World Cup semi-finals and a sixth-place ODI finish. South Africa’s captain, Temba Bavuma, acknowledged Afghanistan’s competitive nature and experience but stressed the need for disciplined bowling. Shahidi also highlighted Afghanistan’s developing cricket facilities, expressing hope for future home matches.
“There’s a significant difference between 2019 and now, and just recently we defeated them [South Africa] in Sharjah – 2-1 – which gives us confidence. We’re not feeling any pressure,” Shahidi mentioned during his press conference on Thursday. “Currently, our focus is on what we can achieve in this tournament, and I genuinely believe our team is better prepared. We are concentrating on ourselves, without any pressure.”
“Firstly, regarding the people here, there are many Afghans. They reside in Karachi and in Pakistan, along with numerous Pashtun supporters. So yes, during our training yesterday, there was a massive crowd cheering for us, which is uplifting and boosts our confidence about having supporters here and our performance,” Shahidi stated.
“We are performing quite well, and in this tournament, our goal is to compete and aim for the final victory,” Shahidi remarked. “We’re not here merely to take part; we are absolutely committed to winning this event. Having played quality cricket over the past couple of years, it’s an excellent opportunity for us as the boys have gained valuable experience, and these conditions suit us well. We are optimistic about starting from tomorrow and hope to begin with a win, maintaining that momentum throughout the tournament.”
“However, we’ve also closely analyzed their play – it’s likely the same team we faced in Sharjah that will be coming to the field again. Therefore, we know what to anticipate.”
Bavuma added that the challenge for his bowlers will be maintaining discipline on batting-friendly pitches. “Given the conditions here, we’ve had a good look at what to expect. The pitches are likely batter-friendly, posing a good challenge for the bowlers. Our goal as a bowling unit is to be disciplined and precise, continually seeking wicket-taking opportunities.”
“From a batting perspective, scoreboard pressure is significant. Players need to establish themselves and aim for high scores to compete for totals of 330-340-350.”
Shahidi on playing in Afghanistan: ‘Hopefully that day comes’
“I have addressed this in Pashto, but let me reiterate because I’ve heard many assertions from other countries claiming that Afghanistan lacks facilities, stadiums, and academies. This is completely inaccurate,” Shahidi stated. “We possess good facilities, cricket academies, and a High Performance Centre in Kabul and Jalalabad, along with stadiums across every zone of Afghanistan. We have the necessary infrastructure to host teams in Afghanistan, but due to security concerns, they haven’t been able to visit. Hopefully, soon, a country will come to Afghanistan, and you will see the crowd enjoyment.”
“During domestic cricket, crowds are always full. People even wait outside the stadium to watch the matches, with finals attracting crowds of over 50,000, 40,000, or 30,000. I’m confident that if any team visits Afghanistan, there will be thousands of fans eager to fill the stadium because cricket is incredibly popular there. So hopefully, that day arrives soon.”
*This story was updated after the South Africa press conference.