Afghanistan wins toss and elects to bat against Australia in must-win Champions Trophy game
LAHORE: Captain Hashmatullah Shahidi won the coin toss under overcast conditions and elected to bat in Afghanistan’s must-win last Group B game of the Champions Trophy against Australia on Friday. Afghanistan made a big turnaround in the tournament when it eliminated England with a stunning eight-run victory at the same venue on Wednesday. Afghanistan, which lost the first match to South Africa by 107 runs, went with the same playing XI for the third successive game and banked on three spinners — Mohammad Nabi, Noor Ahmad and ace leg-spinner Rashid Khan. Australia has three points from its record-breaking 352-run chase against England and a point from its washout game against South Africa at Rawalpindi. Australia named an unchanged side. New Zealand and India have already qualified for the semifinals from Group A with host Pakistan and Bangladesh eliminated. Lineups: Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (captain), Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi Australia: Matthew Short, Travis Head, Steven Smith (captain), Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis, Alex Carey, Glenn Maxwell, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa, Spencer Johnson