Lahore, Feb 28 (UNI) Australia secured their place in the semifinals of the ICC Champions Trophy after their crucial group-stage encounter against Afghanistan was abandoned due to rain on Friday.
Chasing a target of 274, Australia had reached 109 for 1 in 12.5 overs before wet outfield forced the match to be called off.
The washout leaves Afghanistan’s semifinal hopes hanging by a thread. They will now rely on England to defeat South Africa by a significant margin on Saturday in order to advance.
After restricting Afghanistan to 273 in 50 overs, Australia began their chase in commanding fashion. Openers Matthew Short (20 off 15) and Travis Head (59* off 40) provided a brisk start before Short was dismissed by Azmatullah Omarzai. Captain Steven Smith (19* off 22) then joined Head as the duo guided Australia to 109 for 1 when rain intervened.
The umpires made a couple of inspections but ultimately deemed the outfield unfit for play, resulting in a no-result. This marks the eighth abandoned or no-result match in Champions Trophy history, six of which have involved Australia.
Afghanistan’s qualification now depends on an unlikely scenario. For them to reach the semifinals, England must beat South Africa by at least 207 runs if batting first. If chasing, England would need to overhaul the target within 11.1 overs, assuming a first-innings total of 300.
Earlier, Afghanistan posted a competitive total of 273, thanks to a brilliant 67-run knock by Omarzai. Opting to bat first, Afghanistan suffered an early setback when Rahmanullah Gurbaz fell for a duck to Spencer Johnson’s inswinging yorker in the opening over. However, Sediq Attal (85 off 95) and Ibrahim Zadran (22 off 28) steadied the innings before Zadran was dismissed by Adam Zampa.
Despite Attal’s efforts, Afghanistan struggled in the middle overs as Mohammad Nabi (1 run out), Gulbadin Naib (4), and Rahmat Shah (12 off 21) failed to capitalise. Skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi (20 off 49) also found it difficult to accelerate, slowing the scoring rate.
A late surge from Rashid Khan (19 off 17) and Omarzai’s composed half-century ensured Afghanistan reached a respectable total. Omarzai, who has been in sublime form since the 2023 World Cup, continued his fine run, guiding his side to a fighting total.
Australia’s bowlers extracted significant swing and seam movement in the powerplay. Ben Dwarshuis (3/47) registered the highest average swing in the tournament so far, while Johnson (2/49) generated the most seam movement. However, their attack lacked discipline at times, conceding 37 extras—the third-highest in Champions Trophy history.
Statistically, Omarzai has been a standout performer in ODIs since the start of the 2023 World Cup, accumulating 896 runs at an average of 56, striking at 102.16, with seven fifties and a century. His 41 sixes in this period are second only to Rohit Sharma’s 47.
With Australia sealing their semifinal berth, all eyes will now be on the England-South Africa clash, which will determine whether Afghanistan can achieve a historic last-four finish.
