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Hashmatullah Shahidi (Photograph: X)
Afghanistan's captain, Hashmatullah Shahidi, gave a huge statement against Australia ahead of their clash in the Champions Trophy 2025. In the 2023 World Cup, Australia knocked out Afghanistan from the tournament. It was Glenn Maxwell's unbelievable and unforgettable innings that clinched victory for the mighty Aussies. This time, Afghanistan have a chance of beating Australia in the last game of the Champions Trophy 2025 and oust them out of the tournament.
Regarding the upcoming game, Afghanistan captain Hasmatullah Shahidi said that they aren't just prepared for Glenn Maxwell, but for the entire team. "You think we will come only to play with Maxwell? We have planning for all Australian team. I know that he played really well in 2023 World Cup, but that's part of the history. After that, we beat them in [the] T20 World Cup. We think about all [the] opposition team, we are not coming to the ground to plan on [an] individual player. We will try our best to come with the planning and we are not playing only Maxwell - we are playing Australia," said Shahidi.
It will be an interesting game to watch as Australia clash against the Afghanistan team, since, the stakes will be high for both teams. Both teams have a chance to enter the semi-finals, adding to the excitement of the game.
We will try to play positive game: Hasmatullah Shahidi
Captain praised his teammate Ibrahim Zadran for his powerful performance against England, which helped them stay alive in the tournament. Zadran is now the highest scorer in the Champions Trophy history. He scored 177 runs in 143 balls, including 12 boundaries and six sixes.
"We will try to play positive game - just like we defeated England today, we hope to beat Australia as well. We won't put that pressure on ourselves by thinking too much about the semi-final qualification. It's never easy for a player to return from injury and make such a strong comeback in a high-stakes match," added Shahidi.