AFG vs ENG: Top 3 bowlers to watch out for in Afghanistan vs England Champions Trophy match 8

After the rained-out Group B match between Australia and South Africa, two teams needing a win to stay alive meet on Wednesday. Afghanistan and England will cross swords in a key match to be played at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore in the Champions Trophy 2025. The last time these two sides met in an ODI contest was in the 2023 ODI World Cup, which Afghanistan won. 

After the huge loss to South Africa in their first match, Afghanistan will look to bounce back in style. Apart from Mohammad Nabi, none of the Afghan bowlers posed any threat to the South African batters. Hasmatullah Shahidi will be looking at his experienced bowling unit to stand up and deliver with the ball to keep his team’s hopes alive. 

Jos Buttler and his side will be looking to put the misery of their huge loss to Australia and iron out their flaws. England lost the match despite scoring 351 on the board as Josh Inglis single-handedly took the match from their grasp. The addition of Rehan Ahmed to the squad will be a huge boost, as Adil Rashid was single-handedly taking charge of the spin department. 

Here are the top 3 bowlers to watch out for in the AFG vs ENG game 

3: Rashid Khan 

Experienced spin bowling ace Rashid Khan went wicketless against South Africa. The 26-year-old will be looking to make a statement against England with the ball on Wednesday. Considering that most of the English batters find it tough against wrist spin bowling, Rashid will be a tough bowler to face in Lahore. The 26-year-old is also just two wickets away from reaching the 200 wicket mark in ODI Cricket 

2: Mark Wood

If there is one thing that the Afghanistan batter struggles against is top-pace bowling. It was evident in the last match when Marco Jansen and Kagiso Rabada made the batters jump with their short-pitched bowling. Mark Wood would look to do the same and exploit this weakness of the Afghan batters. Wood has top pace, as seen in the match versus Australia, where he bowled at 150 mph consistently and made the batters look uncomfortable. 

1: Adil Rashid 

The most experienced bowler in England is none other than their veteran spin ace Adil Rashid, who has been in top form. The 37-year-old has been bowling well and taking wickets at regular intervals for his side. Adil Rashid has a lot of variations off the pitch and can beat the batter with his guile in the air. A contest between the hard-hitting Afghan batters and Adil Rashid will be one to watch out for.