We now look at the second group in our ICC Champions Trophy, which features Afghanistan, Australia, England, and South Africa.
Afghanistan
Cricket in Afghanistan has evolved rapidly, especially since becoming a full-time member of the ICC in 2017.
In 2023, they missed out on the semi-finals by two points, but they finished in sixth place to earn themselves a spot in this year’s tournament.
In the T20 World Cup in June 2024, they reached their first semi-final of an ICC tournament but lost comprehensively to South Africa by 10 wickets.
This will be their first appearance in the Champions Trophy, and they are capable of pulling off a few upsets.
Schedule:
21st February: Afghanistan vs South Africa: Karachi: 09:00:am
26th February: Afghanistan vs England: Lahore: 09:30 am
28th February: Afghanistan vs Australia: Lahore: 09:00 am
Squad:
Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Ikram Alikhil, Gulbadin Naib, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Nangyal Kharoti, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Farid Malik, Naveed Zadran.
One To Watch: Rashid Khan
The canny wrist spinner is always a threat in white-ball cricket.
He has 198 wickets in 111 matches, at a strike rate of 28.3 and an economy of 4.2.
His skills with the bat cannot be ignored, as he has 1,346 runs at an average of 19.50 and a strike rate of 104.42.
In the SA20(South Africa T20 League), he became the leading All-time wicket-taker in T20 cricket with 633 wickets, surpassing former West Indies fast bowler Dwayne Bravo.
Can he show his class in the ICC Champions Trophy?
Australia
The 2023 World Cup holders are a formidable side to watch. After winning their eighth 50-0ver tournament and sixth World Cup, Australia finished the T20 World Cup in the Super Eights.
Here is the schedule for their campaign:
22nd February: Australia vs England: Lahore: 09:00 am
25th February: Australia vs South Africa: Rawalpindi 09:00 am
28th February: Afghanistan vs Australia: Lahore: 09:00 am
Squad
Steve Smith (c), Sean Abbott, Alex Carey, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Aaron Hardie, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Tanveer Sangha, Matthew Short, Adam Zampa.
One To Watch: Adam Zampa
The 32-year-old wrist spinner is the player to watch out for the Australians in this tournament.
Ranked seventh in the ODI bowling rankings, Zampa has 181 wickets at a strike rate of 31 and an average of 28.6.
The canny operator will have a significant role to play, especially when taking wickets in the middle overs.
His variations in speed will be critical on the flat tracks of Pakistan and the UAE, allowing him to outfox the batsman in the air and off the pitch.
Can he make an impact on the Aussies in this tournament?
England
The 2019 World Champions have reached the Finals of this competition twice, losing to West Indies in 2004 and India in 2013.
Their campaign in the 2023 World Cup was average, as they could only muster three wins out of nine games.
However, they reached the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup in 2024 but lost to India in the semi-finals.
They also reached the semi-finals of the previous edition in 2017 but lost to Champions Pakistan by 180 runs.
What will happen this time around?
Schedule
22nd February: Australia vs England: Lahore: 09:00 am
26th February: Afghanistan vs England: Lahore: 09:30 am
1st March: South Africa vs England: Karachi: 09:00 am
Squad
Jos Buttler (c), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Tom Banton, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Jamie Smith, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Saqib Mahmood, Phil Salt, Mark Wood.
One To Watch: Adil Rashid
The veteran wrist-spinner had a highly successful tour of India, picking up seven wickets in the three ODIs at an average of 27.28 and strike rate of 25.71.
Given that he is ranked the third-best bowler in T20 cricket, it’ll be fascinating to see if he can improve on that stat in this tournament.
Rashid’s skills as a spinner could make him an imposing threat in this tournament.
His ODI career speaks for itself: He took 212 wickets from 146 matches at an average of 32.61 and an economy rate of 5.64.
He also has a good record against top-class batters such as India’s Virat Kohli, whom he has dismissed eleven times, five of which have been in ODIs.
He is also a useful lower-order batsman, with 926 runs at an average of 17.8 and a strike rate of 97.06.
Can he use his all-around skills to have a good effect in this tournament?
South Africa
The winners of the inaugural tournament are not a side to take lightly. They reached the semi-finals of the 2023 World Cup but were beaten by Australia.
This time, Temba Bavuma’s team are setting themselves up for a chance to end their 25-year wait for a trophy.
Will they be able to do it this time
Schedule:
21st February: Afghanistan vs South Africa: Karachi: 09:00:am
25th February: Australia vs South Africa: Rawalpindi 09:00 am
1st March: South Africa vs England: Karachi: 09:00 am
Squad:
Temba Bavuma (c), Tony de Zorzi, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs, Rassie van der Dussen, Corbin Bosch.
One To Watch: Heinrich Klassen
With 2,074 runs to his name, Klassen is one of the cleanest hitters of the ball, with a strike rate of 117.44.
His ability to hit boundaries to all parts of the ground makes him terrifying for the bowlers.
Klassen was the second-highest run scorer for the Proteas at the T20 World Cup.
He accumulated 190 runs from nine matches, averaging 31.66 and a strike rate of 126.66.
His primary role as a batsman is as a finisher, where he has the license to hit boundaries at will.
Can he make an impact for South Africa at the Champions Trophy?
So that’s our preview for Group B of the ICC Champions Trophy. Who will make it to the semi-finals?
Find out on World In Sport
