Champions Trophy 2025, AFG vs ENG pitch report, Lahore Stadium's key stats

Conditions in Lahore are expected to be slightly cooler than the first match there as a little chance of rain is also around the ground.

In the eighth match of the Champions Trophy 2025, Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi won the toss and elected to bat first against England at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on February 26.

 

This is a must-win game for both teams. England, having lost their opening match to Australia, currently sits third in the Group B standings. Meanwhile, Afghanistan is at the bottom of the table after suffering a defeat to South Africa. With Australia and South Africa sitting on 3 points each after their clash being called off, the stakes are even higher for the Afghans and the Three Lions now. 

ENG vs AFG PLAYING 11  England Playing 11: Rahmanullah Gurbaz(w), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi(c), Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi  Afghanistan Playing 11: Rahmanullah Gurbaz(w), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi(c), Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi

 

ALSO READ, CHAMPIONS TROPHY 2025: ENG vs AFG PLAYING 11 | ENG vs AFG LIVE STREAMING | ENG vs AFG LIVE SCORE AND MATCH UPDATES      A loss in this crucial match would eliminate both teams from the tournament. As a result, both England and Afghanistan will be determined to secure a win to keep their semi-final hopes alive.

 

ENG vs AFG: Pitch report of Gadaffi Stadium in Lahore

 

Cricket fans can brace for another high-scoring thriller in Lahore, but they may have to keep an eye on the skies. With a 51 per cent chance of rain, there is some uncertainty in the air. However, if the game proceeds uninterrupted, expect a batting paradise.

 

A Batter’s Dream: Hard Wicket, True Bounce, and Shorter Boundaries 

The pitch is hard, with a healthy grass covering that promises true bounce, allowing the ball to come nicely onto the bat. The dimensions also favour stroke play—67 metres to the off side, 70 metres to the leg side, and 76 metres down the ground. With an average score of over 300 in the last five games, batters will be licking their lips.

 

Spin Struggles: A Bad Omen for Afghanistan

  Unlike other Champions Trophy venues, this surface has offered the least amount of turn, a factor that does not bode well for Afghanistan’s spin-heavy attack. Their three-pronged spin unit thrives on assistance from the pitch, but with minimal turn on offer, they could be in for a tough outing.

 

Bowlers’ Task: Precision is Key 

For bowlers, discipline will be paramount. With runs expected to flow, hitting the crucial 6-metre and 8-metre lengths will be essential. Keeping the stumps in play and forcing batters into mistakes might be the only way to contain the inevitable run-fest.

 

With over 700 runs scored in the England vs Australia clash, Lahore has already proven to be a run-scoring haven. If conditions remain similar, another batting spectacle is on the cards.

  Check Champions Trophy 2025 points table here

 

Lahore's Gadaffi Stadium key stats 

Record	Player/Team	Performance	Opponent	Year
Highest team score	Pakistan	375/3	Zimbabwe	2015
Lowest team score	Pakistan	75 all out	Sri Lanka	2009
Highest individual score	Ijaz Ahmed	139* (84)	India	1997
Best bowling figures	Lance Klusner	6/49	Sri Lanka	—
Most runs at Gaddafi Stadium (ODIs)	Shoaib Malik	1030 runs in 22 innings	—	—
Most wickets at Gaddafi Stadium (ODIs)	Wasim Akram	23 wickets in 17 matches	—	—

 

Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore: Average scores and toss results in ODIs

 

Average first innings score 253

Matches won after batting first 35

Matches won by chasing team 33  Highest totals at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore 

Team	Score	Overs	RR	Inns	Opposition	Ground	Result	Match Date
Pakistan	375/3	50	7.5	1	v Zimbabwe	Lahore	won	26/05/15
Sri Lanka	357/9	50	7.14	1	v Bangladesh	Lahore	won	25/06/08
Australia	356/5	47.3		1	v England	Lahore	won	22/02/25
England	351/8	50		1	v Australia	Lahore	lost	22/02/25
Pakistan	349/4	49	7.12	2	v Australia	Lahore	won	31/03/22
Australia	348/8	50	6.96	1	v Pakistan	Lahore	lost	31/03/22
Zimbabwe	334/5	50	6.68	2	v Pakistan	Lahore	lost	26/05/15
Bangladesh	334/5	50	6.68	1	v Afghanistan	Lahore	won	03/09/23
New Zealand	330/6	50	6.6	1	v Pakistan	Lahore	won	08/02/25
England	327/4	50	6.54	1	v Pakistan	Lahore	won	10/12/05
Pakistan	322/5	50	6.44	1	v Bangladesh	Lahore	won	08/04/08
Australia	316/4	48.5	6.47	2	v Pakistan	Lahore	won	10/11/98
Pakistan	315/8	50	6.3	1	v Australia	Lahore	lost	10/11/98
Australia	313/7	50	6.26	1	v Pakistan	Lahore	won	29/03/22
South Africa	311/9	50	6.22	1	v Sri Lanka	Lahore	won	06/11/97
Sri Lanka	309/5	50	6.18	1	v Pakistan	Lahore	won	24/01/09
New Zealand	308/4	48.4	6.32	2	v South Africa	Lahore	won	10/02/25
Pakistan	308/8	50	6.16	1	v Bangladesh	Lahore	won	13/04/08
South Africa	304/6	50	6.08	1	v New Zealand	Lahore	lost	10/02/25
Bangladesh	300/8	50	6	1	v U.A.E.	Lahore	won	24/06/08
South Africa	297/5	48.1	6.16	2	v West Indies	Lahore	won	03/11/97
Pakistan	297/4	48.5	6.08	2	v Sri Lanka	Lahore	won	14/10/04
Pakistan	296/9	50	5.92	1	v Zimbabwe	Lahore	n/r	31/05/15
India	294/5	45	6.53	2	v Pakistan	Lahore	won	21/03/04
South Africa	294/5	50	5.88	1	v Pakistan	Lahore	won	18/10/07
West Indies	293/8	50	5.86	1	v South Africa	Lahore	lost	03/11/97
Pakistan	293/9	50	5.86	1	v India	Lahore	lost	21/03/04
India	293/7	50	5.86	1	v Pakistan	Lahore	won	24/03/04
Sri Lanka	293/6	50	5.86	1	v Pakistan	Lahore	lost	14/10/04
India	292/5	47.4	6.12	2	v Pakistan	Lahore	won	13/02/06
Pakistan	292/7	48	6.08	2	v New Zealand	Lahore	won	29/11/03
New Zealand	291/5	50	5.82	1	v Pakistan	Lahore	lost	29/11/03
Sri Lanka	291/8	50	5.82	1	v Afghanistan	Lahore	won	05/09/23
Sri Lanka	290/9	50	5.8	1	v U.A.E.	Lahore	won	26/06/08
Afghanistan	289	37.4	7.67	2	v Sri Lanka	Lahore	lost	05/09/23
Pakistan	288/8	50	5.76	1	v India	Lahore	lost	13/02/06
Sri Lanka	287/7	50	5.74	1	v Pakistan	Lahore	won	16/10/04
Pakistan	285	46.5	6.08	2	v England	Lahore	lost	10/12/05
Bangladesh	285/7	50	5.7	2	v Pakistan	Lahore	lost	13/04/08
Sri Lanka	281/2	40	7.02	2	v Pakistan	Lahore	won	05/11/97
Pakistan	281/5	50	5.62	1	v New Zealand	Lahore	won	06/03/96
Pakistan	281/6	50	5.62	1	v New Zealand	Lahore	won	01/12/03
Pakistan	280	49.4	5.63	1	v Sri Lanka	Lahore	lost	05/11/97
Pakistan	278/5	50	5.56	1	v New Zealand	Lahore	won	27/04/02
Pakistan	277/6	50	5.54	1	v South Africa	Lahore	won	03/10/03
South Africa	271	48	5.64	1	v Pakistan	Lahore	won	02/11/97