As first-timers Afghanistan prepares for their maiden clash in the Champions Trophy against South Africa, captain Hashmatullah Shahidi is confident of starting on a winning note in pursuit of their maiden title in an International Cricket Council (ICC) event.
Afghanistan are bullish after doing consistently well in the last two ICC events. In the 2023 ODI World Cup in India, they stunned three former champions - England, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. They did even better in the T20 World Cup 2025, reaching the semifinals of the T20 World Cup last year, held in the United States and the West Indies.
Shahidi's team enters the tournament after securing four consecutive ODI series victories against Ireland, South Africa, Bangladesh, and Zimbabwe. He said Afghanistan are not here to make up the numbers.
We are not here just to participate in this tournament. We are definitely 100 percent looking to win this event:
We played a lot of quality cricket in the last two years and it's a good chance for us because the boys are very experienced and these conditions are also suitable for us so we have a good chance and let's start it from tomorrow and hopefully we start with the win and we go with the same momentum throughout the tournament.
Shahidi pointed out that they beat South Africa in Sharjah 2-1 so the confidence is high and they were not under pressure.
Right now we are focusing on what we can do in this tournament and I believe that our team is ready for this tournament and we are focusing on our own team. There is no pressure on us. We played a lot of quality cricket in the last two years and it's a good chance for us because the boys are very experienced and these conditions are also suitable for us so we have a good chance and let's start it from tomorrow and hopefully we start with the win and we go with the same momentum throughout the tournament.
Afghanistan has several in-form players, including Azmatullah Omarzai, who averaged 50-plus with the bat and under 21 with the ball in 2024, earning him the ODI Player of the Year award.
Rashid Khan has claimed 15 wickets in the last two ICC events at an average of 12.46, while Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Mohammad Nabi contributed significantly with both bat and ball. With a blend of experience and rising stars, both teams will be eager to make a strong statement in their Champions Trophy campaign.
South Africa, captained by Temba Bavuma, boast a powerful and dynamic batting lineup, making them strong contenders for the title despite recent inconsistencies in form.
South Africa will be looking to overcome their history of near-misses in ICC events, the most recent being the defeat to India in the final of the 2024 T20 World Cup. South Africa won the inaugural edition of the Champions Trophy but in the 2017 edition, were eliminated in the group stage after rain denied them a semifinal spot.
South Africa’s batting is bolstered by skipper Temba Bavuma, who averages 43.32 in ODIs, along with Heinrich Klaasen and Rassie van der Dussen, both of whom boast averages above 44.
Though their bowling attack features Kagiso Rabada, with 162 ODI wickets at 27.56, and Marco Jansen, who took 17 scalps in the 2023 World Cup, South Africa has lost some key bowlers to injury recently including white-ball expert including Anrich Nortje. A few of their fast bowlers too have been beseiged by injuries.
The pitch at the National Stadium in Karachi is expected to be flat and hard, offering good pace and bounce, making strokeplay easier. Fast bowlers could get some assistance with the new ball under lights, but the surface is likely to favour batters as things progress. Spinners could come into play in the latter half of the innings, as happened in the tournament opener in which New Zealand defeated Pakistan by 60 runs.
Afghanistan and South Africa have played five ODIs with the Proteas leading the head-to-head series 3-2. Recently, Afghanistan had made history by beating South Africa 2-1 for their maiden ODI series win in Sharjah. So, anything can happen in Friday's clash.
