Afghanistan vs Australia | ICC Champions Trophy, 2025 | Match 10

Right then, we finally have one confirmed team from Group B in the semifinals and now, just one spot remains, which will be ascertained in the very next game. South Africa face-off against England at the National Stadium in Karachi on Saturday, March 1. A win for the Proteas and they will top their group, but a loss and they might still make it to the top 4, which then would be the same top 4 that we saw in the ODI World Cup in late 2023. Jos Buttler, though, would want to sign off on a high as England's white-ball skipper, and it should be an interesting game with no rain forecasted in Karachi for now. That game will begin at 9 am GMT, but you can join us a lot sooner for the build-up. Till then, take care and goodbye!

Hashmatullah Shahidi, the captain of Afghanistan, says that it is unfortunate that they couldn't get a result and adds that it was a good game. Mentions that they should have got over 300 runs but lauds the opposition for bowling well in the middle phase. Says that even 270 was a defendable total, but the bowlers didn't hit their strides early on. On Sediqullah Atal, he says that in the first two games, he didn't play as expected but came back well and did well under pressure and hopes he carries on. On Azmatullah Omarzai, he says that Azmat is a top player and that is why he is the Men's ODI CRicketer of the Year and performances well under pressure and hopefully, he can also carry on in the same manner. On his own batting form, he says that it was a bad day for him and will speak with the coach with where things went wrong and will learn from today and ends up saying that, you never know, you still have hope.

Steve Smith, the skipper of Australia, says that it has been a good result as they started the tournament and they have finished in the top two to go into the semi-final, which is pretty satisfying for them. Adds that the bowlers did a really good job as they kept it simple and just tried to take wickets. Restricting them around 270 was top-notch. Talks about the extras as Spencer Johnson was bowling a bit wayward but overall, they bowled really well, created many opportunities, and hit the pads on numerous occasions. That was a good performance by the whole group, but it is a shame that the game has ended as whitewashed. Talks about the preparations for the semi-final, as they will look at that and make game plans as per the team they will be up against. Says about Travis Head’s batting that he is a class player and when he starts going, he becomes so tough to bowl to. Concludes that they have guys in the group who can do well and can come up and rise on the occasion when the team wants from them.

Next up, a chat with the two skippers...

Let's recap the match now, it all started with Hashmatullah Shahidi winning the toss and sticking to his team's strength by opting to bat first. Afghanistan looked shaky at the start again, but Sediqullah Atal put his hands up and played a counter-attacking knock after starting off in a sluggish manner. It was a tussle in the middle orders but the Aussie spinners did well to pick up wickets at regular intervals before Spencer Johnson came back on and got his side a big breakthrough. Atal missed on a ton, but Azmatullah Omarzai yet again showed his prowess in this format by scoring a quickfire half-century and took his side over the 270-mark. In reply, Australia got off to a flying start but Afghanistan did create a couple of catching opportunities, which were put down before Travis Head got into rhythm and knocked a big chunk off the target in a flash. However, the rain came in before Afghanistan could even give Rashid Khan a go, and it was pretty heavy. Unfortunately, even after stopping, the ground just couldn't be readied in time to get at least 20 overs in the chase and constitute a full game.

UPDATE - 3.51 pm GMT - The visuals are telling! The two umpires head up to the dressing rooms and shake hands with a captain each and as we feared, the MATCH HAS BEEN CALLED OFF! A disappointing way for Afghanistan to bow out, given so much was on line but Australia have now confirmed their place in the semifinals. Afghanistan are not 100 percent out yet but given the margin of defeat the Proteas need to suffer at the hands of England, more or less has sealed their fate.

UPDATE - 3.45 pm GMT - On cue, the umpires make their way out to the middle. A lot of the areas on the outfield have been dried up but there are certainly some areas still of concern. The umpires are walking and pressing their feet, trying to gauge whether the ground is too soft or fit enough for the players. It seems like there will be another inspection and there's about an hour and a half left before no play would be possible. The umpires seem to be in conversation with the curator as well. We might get a substantial update soon.

UPDATE - 3.12 pm GMT - Right then, the mop-up work has sped up as they know they need to move along if there's any chance of play happening. Also, there is an official inspection scheduled for 3.45 pm GMT, about half an hour away from now, so, we should get a clearer picture soon. Stick around.

UPDATE - 3 pm GMT - The two umpires are now out in the middle and are having a huge conversation about the state of the outfield. The ground staff are ticking along, trying their best but the drainage doesn't seem the best as it generally doesn't rain like this in Lahore off-season. Let's keep our fingers crossed and hope that the ground gets safe enough for the players to play.

UPDATE - 2.38 pm GMT - Some positive visuals coming in from the Gaddafi Stadium and the rain has stopped! However, looking at the condition of the outfield, there are multiple puddles on the outfield and a big mop-up job is there to be done and it will certainly take a fair chunk of time. But, at least for now, we have positive news. Stick around for more updates regarding the state of play. Also, as per a few sources, the cut-off time for the chase to restart and constitute a 20-over game is 5.11 pm GMT.