Afghanistan won the toss and chose to bat against Australia in their ICC Champions Trophy 2025 Group B clash at Gaddafi Stadium on Friday.
Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi said the pitch had already been used in previous matches featuring England and Australia, which could cause it to slow down later in the game. He expressed confidence in his team’s performance and confirmed that Afghanistan would field the same XI as in their last match.
Australia captain Steven Smith said he would have preferred to bowl first due to overhead conditions and the potential dew factor. He emphasized his team’s aggressive intent and readiness for the challenge, also sticking with an unchanged playing XI.
Australia (Playing XI): Matthew Short, Travis Head, Steven Smith(c), Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis, Alex Carey(w), Glenn Maxwell, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa, Spencer Johnson
Afghanistan (Playing XI): Rahmanullah Gurbaz(w), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi(c), Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi
