After their opening defeat to Australia, England convinced themselves they were unlucky; that Lahore’s lurching conditions were to blame and the signs were still good. Well, that bubble burst in dramatic fashion when their Champions Trophy hopes – and possibly Jos Buttler’s captaincy – were terminated by Afghanistan.
Though an eight-run loss settled in the final over – the first true thriller of this quickfire tournament – this was no freak result, rather a team with more bases covered out-willing and out-skilling their opponents on the day. Driven by Ibrahim Zadran’s 177 from 146 balls, Afghanistan recovered from the loss of three early wickets to post 325 for seven, before their enterprising attack turned the screw under lights.
Related: England lose must-win game against Afghanistan by eight runs: Champions Trophy cricket – live
Not even Joe Root’s first ODI century since the 2019 World Cup – 120 from 111 balls – could prevent the latest chapter in a once great team’s slide southwards. Buttler, having admitted beforehand his own future as captain was a stake, could only look on from the balcony. His earlier top-edged pull to deep-wicket on 38 felt like the clincher, Root’s demise in the 46th over, 39 runs short of the target, much the same.
There were further twists to follow, however. Jamie Overton recovered from his earlier punishment with the ball – figures of one for 72 – to get Buttler’s side to within striking distance, only to hole out for 32. And after Jofra Archer skied one to leave 13 needed off the final over, Adil Rashid fell off the penultimate delivery to complete a five-wicket haul for Azmatullah Omarzai and spark wild scenes in the Afghan-dominated stands.
That England got close said something, at least, having stumbled off at the halfway stage looking like the survivors from the SS Poseidon. An innings that saw Afghanistan slump to 37 for three up top, then crawl to 103 for three at the 25-over mark, had been flipped upside down by Zadran and two rapid late partnerships in which Azmatullah and Mohammad Nabi showed their all-round worth.
The decibel levels in the Gaddafi Stadium only increased as English wickets tumbled in the chase. First went Phil Salt, bowled by Azmatullah for 12 playing a wild hack, then Jamie Smith, for nine, trying to launch Nabi’s very first ball for six. Ben Duckett was pinned lbw by Rashid Khan for 38, before Harry Brook’s winter of spin misery continued with a soft chip back to Nabi on 25.
Root was magnificent, holding things together with a typically frictionless display and even pulling out one remarkable pancake-flip six when past six figures. But with the fall of Buttler seeing a stand of 83 end in the 37th over, followed swiftly by Liam Livingstone’s latest disappearance, England’s premier batter had too much to do.
If anyone embodied the turnaround in the first innings – beyond Zadran – it was possibly Archer. Nipping out three for 22 in an initial six over burst, his last four then travelled for 42 as the wheels came off at large. Buttler needed more from his strike bowler here, not least with Mark Wood grimacing through a left knee issue.
Striking in Wood’s fourth over, and leaving him battling through four more, the injury exposed an attack already short on wriggle room. And bar Adil Rashid, England have become increasingly toothless in the middle overs in ODI cricket, ever since Liam Plunkett walked off a World Cup winner in 2019. Here they were chewing with gums.
None of this should detract from Zadran, who paced his sixth ODI century superbly. And unlike Duckett’s 165 against Australia four days earlier – the record Champions Trophy score eclipsed here – there was impetus from the other end following an initial rebuild with Hashmatullah Shahidi (40) that added 103 for the fourth wicket.
First came Azmatullah, walloping three sixes in a 31-ball 41, followed by Nabi’s 41 from 24. Nabi, the old warhorse, conqueror of 45 countries during his side’s remarkable rise from the refugee camps, helped pummel 23 runs off Root in 47th over, his stand with Zadran overall worth 111 in just 55 balls.
It was only half the job for Afghanistan’s two all-rounders, however, with the pair central to another famous victory that keeps their semi-final hopes alive. They meet Australia on this ground on Friday, while England fly to Karachi to play for pride against South Africa a day later as the latest period of introspection begins.
