Afghanistan versus Australia maybe isn’t a fixture you’ll’ve circled out in your ICC World Cup calendars earlier than the beginning. At Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium on Tuesday, although, this conflict carries heightened significance for each groups in addition to context for the event’s semi-final spots. And a few geopolitical undercurrents.
Australia, on a five-match unbeaten roll and recent off tying England up in knots in Ahmedabad, can lock their knockouts date with a win right here. Afghanistan, arguably this World Cup’s standout story from a impartial perspective, will hope so as to add one other superb chapter to it and throw the couple of remaining semi-final berths broad open once more. Presently on eight factors with New Zealand and Pakistan, a defeat will go away them with numerous work to do (and favours to hunt from elsewhere) in opposition to South Africa.
The Aussies and Afghans, by the way, have charted related routes in India. Each started the event tasting two defeats earlier than choosing themselves up — Australia by step by step getting their misfiring items collectively and Afghanistan by clinically taking down England, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Netherlands for 4 instances as many wins as of their earlier World Cups.
The 2 groups’ paths in worldwide cricket, nonetheless, are inclined to cross solely throughout World Cups. Australia final performed Afghanistan in a bilateral match a decade in the past, in 2012. They’ve met solely in World Cups since — twice within the ODIs (2015 and 2019) and as soon as in T20s (2022). Earlier this yr, Cricket Australia withdrew from a three-match ODI collection in March in opposition to Afghanistan within the UAE. It cited the Taliban’s restrictions on ladies’s schooling and employment in Afghanistan, making it the second time an Australian staff had pulled out from taking part in Afghanistan after a “postponed” Take a look at in Hobart in 2021.
There have been murmurs from the Afghan camp forward of the match (Naveen-ul-Haq’s Instagram story on it ended with “#requirements #humanrights or 2 factors”), whereas former Australia captain Steve Smith mentioned these choices have been “far above my pay grade” chatting with the media in Mumbai on Monday.
Afghanistan’s spin menace
Rigidity or not, there would seemingly be an air of unknown when the Australians stroll out with the Afghans. Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi and Mujeeb Ur Rahman are established names in world cricket now however the final time the Australian batters performed them in a 50-overs sport was 4 years in the past in Bristol. That there is no Afghan bowler among the many high 10 wicket-takers this World Cup up to now reveals they’ve hunted as a pack, utilizing spin as the first artillery.
Australia aren’t too keen on taking part in spin, though the flat nature of the Wankhede deck may work to their benefit. Smith labelled the Afghanistan spinners as a “massive menace” and their staff “harmful”, which has “come a good distance within the final 5 – 6 years”.
“They’re good bowlers, they’re good bowlers,” Smith mentioned. “They have to be revered on the proper instances after which we want to have the ability to put stress on them on the proper instances as properly.”
Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi didn’t shrink back from calling his spin assault “the very best on this planet”. But it is their batting that has complemented it brilliantly, oozing effectivity and calm even in tough chases.
Shahidi repeatedly used the phrases “perception” and “mindset” in attempting to elucidate the elements behind his staff’s strong World Cup, having recognized their middle-order batting as an issue space and dealing on “taking it away”. “We have been good earlier than as properly, however we began considering the way to enhance… the way to take the duty, the way to play based on the state of affairs,” he mentioned on Monday.
Smith underneath vertigo cloud
For the five-time champions, it hasn’t been the smoothest of campaigns to date. Gamers have come and gone, with at the very least one in every of Australia’s first-choice picks unavailable for each match.
Mitchell Marsh, who misplaced his grandfather and flew dwelling final week, rejoined the squad in Mumbai and skilled on Monday. So did Glenn Maxwell, concussed and out of the England sport after a freak golf damage. Smith, who wouldn’t verify if the 2 have been obtainable for Tuesday, himself mentioned he has been affected by vertigo, though he felt he’ll “be okay” for the match.
If all of the three are certainly good to go on Tuesday, Australia might lastly have a complete squad of 15 to select from on the backend of their marketing campaign that has belatedly taken flight. Towards the “harmful” Afghanistan facet on a rousing run of their very own, they might properly want that.
Tendulkar meets Afghan gamers
Afghanistan’s coaching session underneath lights on Monday had a starry visitor in Sachin Tendulkar. The Indian legend spent a substantial time with the Afghan gamers, chatting with them collectively in a huddle and likewise in teams thereafter whereas keeping track of their observe. He additionally accompanied the staff’s head coach Jonathan Trott and mentor Ajay Jadeja throughout their pitch inspection.
“Yeah, it is the primary time (we’re assembly Tendulkar),” Shahidi mentioned earlier than the beginning of their coaching. “All of us are excited as a result of he is the legend of the sport. And for lots of our gamers, we have been watching him on TV… and he was a task mannequin for lots of our gamers,” he mentioned, hoping to remove “perhaps some phrases and we study” from the assembly.