Page 8 - Icc Champions Trophy

AFG vs AUS preview: Aussies, Afghans fight for a spot in semifinals

Eyeing a semifinal spot, Australia's historic pedigree in cricket's biggest tournaments will count for nothing when they run into an Afghanistan side that is fast cementing its place in the game's top table, in the Champions Trophy here on Friday. Basking in the afterglow of their memorable win over England at the Gaddafi Stadium on Wednesday, Afghanistan have a realistic chance of making their second successive semifinals of a global event, less than a year after their entry into the last four stage of the T20 World Cup in the Americas. On the other hand, a win for Australia will secure their passage to the semifinals of the tournament while eliminating Afghanistan with a game to spare. However, it is easier said than done. For one, for all their firepower in batting, Australia are without their three leading fast bowlers in Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood. The trio's absence was felt as England racked up a 350-plus total in their tournament opener before the Aussie

Champions Trophy Pakistan vs Bangladesh: Head-to-head records in ICC events

Pakistan lead Bangladesh three wins to two in their last five ODI encounters since 2015

Champions Trophy PAK vs BAN: Pitch report, key stats of Rawalpindi stadium

Pakistan and Bangladesh will face each other for only the second time in Champions Trophy history on Thursday

Champions Trophy 2025: PAK vs BAN playing 11, live match time, streaming

Pakistan and Bangladesh will aim to win their match on Thursday in Lahore to end their campaign in the 2025 Champions Trophy with at least something to celebrate

AFG vs ENG HIGHLIGHTS, Champions Trophy 2025: Afghanistan held on to their nerves to knock ENG out

AFG vs ENG HIGHLIGHTS: Ibrahim Zadran historic 177 runs innings worked the trick as Afghanistan lived to see another day in ICC Champions Trophy 2025

Champions Trophy Group B: AUS, SA, ENG, AFG qualification scenario

Both the semifinal spots from Group B of the ICC Champions Trophy are still up for grabs

Champions Trophy 2025 points table: ENG, AFG, AUS, SA rankings and stats

Afghanistan will be looking to spring another upset against the Three Lions on February 26 as the battle for the final four intensifies in Group B.

Kohli can break Tendulkar's 100 centuries record in 3-4 years: Wasim Jaffer

Former India opener and Mumbai stalwart Wasim Jaffer believes Virat Kohli will continue to play for at least three to four more years and is well on track to break Sachin Tendulkar's record of 100 international centuries. Kohli, 36, currently has 82 international centuries across all formats, with his latest coming in India's commanding six-wicket victory over Pakistan in the Champions Trophy in Dubai. But before this, Kohli had struggled for runs at home. "As a cricket fan you want to see Virat as much as you can. With the form he was in (against Pakistan), nobody wants to see him get out. When he makes runs everybody is happy, and I am sure everyone wants Virat to play for 3-4 more years and break all records," Jaffer said during the launch of India Corporate T20 Bash (ICBT20), a corporate cricket league, here on Wednesday. "The century record is one that looks like Virat is going to break. When Sachin Tendulkar made 100 centuries it looked it will never be broken but the way Vi

PCB advises Fakhar to reconsider his decision regarding ODI retirement

Pakistan Cricket Board has advised Fakhar Zaman to reconsider any hasty plans of retirement from ODI cricket after reports emerged that the experienced opener was contemplating quitting the format following his injury-enforced exclusion from the Champions Trophy. According to sources, Fakhar, who was sidelined from the ICC event after sustaining an injury in the opening game against New Zealand, is contemplating retiring from ODIs to focus on T20 cricket. "He is basically upset and down because of his recent fitness and health issues, a source close to the batsman said. The left-handed opener, who made his return to the national squad after a lengthy absence following the 2023 World Cup, has been grappling with multiple fitness setbacks. It is understood that Fakhar wishes to retire from 50-over cricket in order to prolong his career and focus exclusively on T20 formats. Fakhar, who has not played Test cricket for Pakistan since early 2019, is primarily regarded as a white-ball ..

Pakistan's head coach believes absence of Fakhar, Ayub hurt the team in CT

Pakistan's interim head coach and national selector Aaqib Javed on Wednesday said that injuries to Saim Ayub and Fakhar Zaman adversely impacted the national team's campaign in the Champions Trophy. Aaqib said that despite being out of the semi-finals contention, the team was very much focussed on ending its tournament campaign on a winning note. Pakistan play Bangladesh in their last group game on Thursday. There is no worry about lack of motivation for the players, he said. Aaqib also defended the selection of the squad for the Champions Trophy insisting the best available players were picked. The team management and selectors have faced a lot of backlash over the selected squad. Aaqib noted that except for three changes ,the Pakistan squad was the same that had won ODI series in Australia, Zimbabwe and South Africa before the Champions Trophy. Certain players who are crucial for the team in specific games were missing. For example, players like Saim and Fakhar create a posit

Can Afghanistan defend 326 vs ENG? Check successful run chases in Lahore

If England chase down the target set by Afghanistan, it will be the third-highest successful run chase at this venue

ENG vs AFG live streaming: Where to watch today's Champions Trophy match?

The two sides have had similar experiences in Group B, with both suffering defeats in their opening matches.

Champions Trophy, AFG vs ENG Playing 11: What will be both teams' XI today?

England vs Afghanistan Playing 11: England have made a forced change, with all-rounder Brydon Carse ruled out due to injury. He has been replaced by Jamie Overton

Ibrahim Zadran becomes first Afghan player to score 100 in Champions Trophy

The previous best score for Afghanistan in the Champions Trophy was by Rahmat Shah, who scored 90 runs against South Africa.

Pakistan's cricket decline began under PM Imran Khan's tenure: Najam Sethi

Ex-PCB chairman Najam Sethi has indirectly blamed former Prime Minister Imran Khan for triggering the downslide of Pakistan cricket. In a post on X, Sethi whose last PCB stint was from December 2022 to June 2023, said the nation is justifiably angry at the performance of the national team. Champions Trophy hosts Pakistan are out of the tournament after back to back defeats. The cricket fraternity says Pakistan has hit rock bottom. How come a cricket team that was once no 1 in T20s (2018) and Tests (2016) and ODIs (1990 and 1996), which won the WC in 1992 and CT in 2017, is today equated with Zimbabwe? According to Sethi, the downfall started in 2019 when a new management under a new PM/Patron (Imran Khan was prime minister at that time and had brought in Ehsan Mani as PCB chairman) changed the domestic cricket structure that had served Pakistan reasonably well for decades and replaced it with an ill-suited Australian hybrid model. Political interference continued; contradictory PC

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.

Even someone like MS Dhoni cannot do anything with this PAK side: Sana Mir

Former Pakistan women's captain Sana Mir has joined the chorus of criticism against the men's cricket team for its early exit from the Champions Trophy, saying that even a talisman like Mahendra Singh Dhoni cannot change the fortunes of the embattled side. Hosts Pakistan were eliminated from the ongoing eight-team Champions Trophy after humiliating defeats to New Zealand and arch-foes India. "The 15 that have been selected (in Champions Trophy squad), even if you make MS Dhoni or (former Pakistan skipper) Younis Khan captain, nobody can do anything to the team because it has not been selected on the basis of the playing conditions," said Mir on 'Game On Hai' programme. The Mohammad Rizwan-led Pakistan team has also received flak from the fans in Pakistan for the way they capitulated to a six-wicket loss to India in the marquee clash in Dubai. "I was watching the match when I got a message from a friend that India are 100 for 2 'I think it's over'. So, I said the match was over when

Champions Trophy: PAK will find it hard to beat India's B team - Gavaskar

Pakistan's cricket team continued to invite scathing criticism a day after being knocked out of the Champions Trophy with the great Sunil Gavaskar saying that it would struggle to beat even a second-string Indian team. India, the 2023 ODI World Cup finalists, defeated defending champions Pakistan by six wickets in the Champions Trophy in Dubai on Sunday, continuing their dominance over the arch-rivals. "I think a B team (from India) certainly (can give Pakistan a run for their money). C team, I am not too sure. But a B team will be very, very hard to beat for Pakistan in their current form," Gavaskar said on 'Sports Today'. Pakistan, hosting an ICC tournament for the first time since 1996, were knocked out of the Champions Trophy after New Zealand beat Bangladesh in another Group A match. Pakistan are still winless in the event. Since winning the Champions Trophy in 2017, Pakistan's cricketing fortunes have declined, with the team finishing fifth in the last two ODI World Cups. "I

Saddened by plight of women in AFG but tomorrow's game offers hope: Buttler

England captain Jos Buttler says he and his teammates are saddened by the plight of women in Afghanistan but have decided to play the side from the Taliban-ruled country as sport offers hope in tough times. The Taliban took over the reins of Afghanistan in 2021 and banned women's sports besides restricting their access to education and work. Last month, a group of British lawmakers had urged the England cricket team to boycott the Champions Trophy fixture against Afghanistan as a sign of protest against the treatment meted out to women in the country. On the eve of the game, Buttler was asked what made him and his team comfortable to go ahead with the game. "I'm taking a lot of advice from lots of experts. I think credit must go to Rob Key and the ECB they've been very, very good at supporting me and all the players and giving us information and education around this and making it an ECB decision," said Buttler. "We're very saddened by the plight of women and girls in Afghanistan

Champions Trophy 2025: AFG vs ENG Playing 11, live match time, streaming

Afghanistan vs England Playing 11: England made one forced change in their playing 11 while Afghanistan remained unchanged from the previous match.