An England boycott against Afghanistan would have left the side with no points from the game. On a hazy night in Lahore, that is all that England got anyway, stumbling to an eight-run defeat that confirmed their elimination from the Champions Trophy.
England almost didn’t qualify for the Champions Trophy. Now, perhaps they will wish that they hadn’t bothered.
A third consecutive ignominious global tournament for England is the immediate result of this wildly oscillating game. However fine the margin, the end for Jos Buttler as white-ball captain is another likely result; so, quite possibly, is the end of his one-day international career. He will turn 37 before the 2027 World Cup, and his batting returns have been dwindling sharply.
A little after 9pm at the Gaddafi Stadium, Buttler hinted at producing the outlandish ODI innings that was once his trademark. He had endured a stuttering start, taking 12 from his first 24 balls while surviving a close lbw appeal. But two sixes in three balls off Mohammad Nabi – the first using his feet and clearing midwicket, the second a slog sweep – gave glimpses of the verve that has made him perhaps England’s finest-ever white-ball cricketer.
At 216-4 in pursuit of 326, with his partner Joe Root serene, England were narrow favourites. Then, Buttler was confronted by a short ball from Azmatullah Omarzai, which followed his head with all the menace of a local mosquito. As Buttler’s top edge ballooned to square leg, he looked to the sky. The magnificence of Joe Root, whose controlled 120 almost steered England to a remarkable heist, and late pyrotechnics from Jamie Overton, could not alleviate Buttler’s despair. Nor could they quieten the chants of ‘Afghanistan Zindabad’ from a crowd including thousands of Afghan refugees.
The questions around this England side extend far beyond the identity of the captain. Why did England pick a number three in the Champions Trophy who had only done the job once before in county cricket, and never in internationals? Why has the batting line-up mislaid the range that is the hallmark of the best 50-over batsmen? Why were England’s fast bowlers, for the second consecutive game, as predictable as the hands on a clock? Why did it need an injury to a seam bowler for the squad to include a second spinner? More than anything, how have England allowed their white-ball empire to disintegrate?
As recently as November 2022, when Buttler lifted the T20 World Cup at Melbourne in his first tournament as captain, Australia skipper Aaron Finch declared that England had been “the benchmark of white-ball cricket [for] a long time now”. This was not hyperbole: England had reached five consecutive semi-finals in world events, and had become the first ever men’s side to hold the ODI and T20 World Cups simultaneously.
Now, England’s pioneers have assumed the air of men searching to remember a language they no longer speak. Since the 2023 World Cup began, England have now lost 18 ODIs out of 25; Buttler’s side also only won one game out of four against Test opposition during a tame T20 World Cup defence last year. The promise of swift reinvigoration under Brendon McCullum has proved delusional. England have now lost nine white-ball games out of ten since McCullum took over as limited-overs coach.
Full report to follow . . .
05:53 PM GMT
Buttler joins Sky Sports for a more informal chat
05:42 PM GMT
We’ll have a Michael Vaughan column shortly on the site
But meanwhile...
Brilliant from Afghanistan .. Throughly deserved win .. England just haven't played good enough white ball cricket for a couple of years .. this result isn't a surprise in these conditions .. #ChampionsTrophy2025
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) February 26, 2025
In the last 12 months Afghanistan have beaten:
England in a ODI
Bangladesh twice in ODIs
South Africa twice in ODIs
Bangladesh in a T20I
New Zealand in a T20I
Australia in a T20I#CT25 #AFGvENG— Saj Sadiq (@SajSadiqCricket) February 26, 2025
05:37 PM GMT
To come
Australia and Afghanistan have a shoot-out for a semi-final place on Friday. England take on South Africa in Karachi on Saturday with nothing for them to play for though South Africa can dictate where they would play their semi-final with a win.
05:35 PM GMT
Jos Buttler speaks at the presentations to Michael Atherton
Out of the tournament is really disappointing. I thought we had our chances in a fantastic game of cricket and we’re absolutely gutted to come out the wrong side.
We needed one of the other top six batters to stay with Joe Root. Him and Jamie Overton had a really good partnership and I thought we were going to get there.
They got away from us in the last 10 overs, 113 off the last 10 was a very good score on that pitch. Unfortunately Woody felt his left knee and all credit to him he bowled through a hell of a lot of pain, showed great character.
Joe played a unbelievable innings, showed a lot of character. As I said if one of us in the top six had stayed with him we would have got home. tonight.
I don’t feel far away from my best. It’s disappointing when you’re not reaching that level.
I don’t want to make any emotional statements now [about the captaincy], but myself and the guys at the top should consider all possibilities.
05:22 PM GMT
Will’s verdict
There can be no complaints from England. Their white ball cricket has been poor throughout their tour of Asia, and for much longer than that. They made a good start today, but allowed Afghanistan back in, and despite Joe Root’s best efforts, did not have the class.
05:21 PM GMT
Why England lost?
Ian Smith says the spotlight should be on Jos Buttler, Liam Livingstone and Jamie Overton for poor thinking when England were well-placed. I’d add Jamie Smith to that. Rotten shot.
05:17 PM GMT
Afghanistan knock England out of Champions Trophy
They were well-placed after the fifth and seventh wicket partnerships between Root and Buttler and then Root and Overton but Afghanistan were simply too good for them – Azmat taking five for 58 to go with Ibrahim Zadran’s 177.
05:15 PM GMT
Wicket!
Rashid c Ibrahim b Azmat 5 Caught on the boundary.
Afghanistan win by eight runs.
05:15 PM GMT
OVER 49.4: ENG 317/9 (Rashid 5 Wood 2)
Wood drives for a single to long off.
05:14 PM GMT
OVER 49.3: ENG 316/9 (Rashid 5 Wood 1)
Rashid cloths a drive for a single. Wood still can’t run back for two.
05:14 PM GMT
OVER 49.2: ENG 315/9 (Rashid 4 Wood 1)
Wood drives to the cover sweeper. Just a single.
Eleven off four or 10 for a Super Over.
05:12 PM GMT
OVER 49.1: ENG 314/9 (Rashid 4 Wood 0)
Farooqi tried to go off for the final over after bowling his 10th over and the umpires call him back on.
Azmat to Rashid, he lumps a drive to mid-off and runs one. Wood can’t make it back for two.
12 from five.
Loud chants of ‘Afghanistan Zindabad’ from a crowd including thousands of Afghan refugees. What a stunning game this has been.
05:10 PM GMT
OVER 49: ENG 313/9 (Rashid 3 Wood 0)
Pace off from Farooqi to start with and Rashid mistimes it. No run.
He drives the next on one knee for a single.
Archer on strike. He walks down and drives for a single to cover. Nearly squeezed it through.
Rashid late cuts the off-cutter to short third for a single but Archer was backing up smartly.
Archer falls. Wood comes to the crease. Seven balls left, 13 to get and Wood on one leg.
Wood can’t knock the last ball off the square and Rashid sends the hobbling Wood back.
Thirteen to get.
05:08 PM GMT
Wicket!
Archer c Nabi b Farooqi 14 Plinks the cutter to long on, swinging for the bleachers with now only seven balls left to save themselves. FOW 313/9
05:05 PM GMT
OVER 48: ENG 310/8 (Archer 13 Rashid 1)
Azmatullah starts with a booming bouncer... rightly called wide.
Archer swipes at a slog to cow corner and cloths it over mid-off. Rashid Kahn makes a bold effort to get there and catch it but as quick as he ran and as far as he dived, he couldn’t cling on with his fingertips. They run a single.
Overton collars the next ball, a short one, for four, pummelling it, before tucking the next one for a single through midwicket.
Archer drives elegantly down to long on, lovely high elbow, for a single.
Overton chips a drive straight to Nabi, bringing Adil Rashid to the crease and he gets off the mark first ball with a bunt to mid-off.
05:02 PM GMT
Wicket!
Overton c Nabi b Azmat 32 There was a delay to bring out sawdust for Azmatullah’s footholds and it broke Overton’s concentration, holing out to long-on on resumption. FOW 309/8
04:57 PM GMT
OVER 47: ENG 301/7 (Overton 27 Archer 11)
Overton starts Farooqi’s penultimate over with a flick through midwicket for a single and Archer steals two off the next ball with a short-arm jab to square leg.
Archer French cuts the next off the bottom edge as he misread the slower ball but it scuttles under the keeper for four.
The next ball is a full toss as he finds his yorker elusive and Archer slaps it for a single to long off.
Overton drives to the cover sweeper and another misfield doubles a single into two, through thye fielder manages to stick his boot out to stop it going for four.
Farooqi ends with a dot ball as Overton mistimes an onside flick off the slower ball.
England need 25 off 18.
04:52 PM GMT
OVER 46: ENG 291/7 (Overton 24 Archer 4)
Azmatullah replaces Rashid Kahn who finished with 10-0-66-1. Overton pulls the right-arm quick for two then plays tip and run to cover and the fielder opts to try to run out Overton rather than the limping Root who is walking like Jack Haley’s Tin Man.
Root gorges on a shorter one from Azmatullah to flip rather than pull a four round the corner to bring up the fifty partnership and then burgles two to midwicket as all the legside fielders are out on the rope and the bowler has to do his own fielding.
Azmatullah bags the main man as cramp and exhuastion take their toll on Root but Archer keeps hope alive by smearing the last ball through point for four.
England need 35 off 24.
04:49 PM GMT
Wicket!
Root c Gurbaz b Azmatullah 120 Root tries to uppercut the offside bouncer and ends up gloving it through to the keeper as it skidded on slower and closer to his body than he first anticipated. FOW 287/7
04:44 PM GMT
OVER 45: ENG 278/6 (Root 114 Overton 21)
Oh my! Root hops across into a two-eyed stance, totally chest on to Farooqi from round the wicket and scoops him over his shoulder for six! Amazing shot for a lame man.
Root drives the left-arm seamer for a single through cover then Overton chews up a dot ball then works the next off his pads for two. He creams an off drive but too close to long off and Overton has to settle for a single. Root has one to face and it’s the wide yorker. Root goes for the scoop again but only tickles it and the keeper grabs it on the bounce.
England need 48 off 30.
04:40 PM GMT
OVER 44: ENG 268/6 (Root 107 Overton 18)
A fumble at mid-on by Nabi turns Root’s on-drive into two and Rashid Khan turns Rumpelstiltskin with an angry jig and a boot of the turf. Root deploys the strike-rotating flick to midwicket for a single and sweeps another hard as he starts to suffer cramp in his right calf. Overton drives to long on for a single then uses his feet to slice an inside-out dri9ve for another. There’s a cry of catch but long-on was virtually at deep extra-cover and had no chance.
04:35 PM GMT
OVER 43: ENG 261/6 (Root 102 Overton 16)
Farooqi, the left-arm seamer who has been off the field for treatment for a calf issue, comes on and starts with two short balls to Overton, one from over, the next from round the wicket and Overton carts both on the pull for successive fours.
Overton, sensibly, punches the next ball, still from round the wicket, to cover for a single and Root clubs a cut off the bottom edge into the pitch for a single.
Farooqi’s speciality is the yorker and an armoury of well-disguised slower balls. And he deploys both, one a quick off-break, to get out of the over without further damage.
A stat doing the rounds:
43 players have batted eight or more times for England at ICC ODI events. The only three to have scored fewer runs than Liam Livingstone are Stuart Broad, Jofra Archer and James Anderson.
04:30 PM GMT
OVER 42: ENG 251/6 (Root 101 Overton 7)
A 17th ODI century for Root and his first for almost six years comes by flicking Rashod through midwicket for a single.
Overton hustles three when Rashid’s googli slides on to his pads and he skelps it to fine leg. Rashid Kahn goes for the googly again and Root drives it for a single. After Overton uses his feet to turn a leg-break into a full toss and spear it down to mid-on for a single, Root is hit on the foot reverse sweeping but miles outside off stump.
Root calls for the physio, for an energy gel and drink.
England need 75 off 48.
04:25 PM GMT
OVER 41: ENG 245/6 (Root 99 Overton 3)
Thanks Kieran. While there’s Root, there’s hope. I wonder if Rashid should have been sent in before Overton and presumably Archer, just to manipulate singles, give Root the strike and bat together like they did from 2008-13 for Yorkshire. Long time ago.
Root gets the over going by hammering Gulbadin for four through midwicket then chisels out the sixth-stump yorker for a single. Overton can’t beat the field when cutting the slower short ball but gets off strike by retreating to leg to open up cover for a single.
Root waits for the cutter to climb towards his hip and flips it round the corner for two and opens the faceto drive off the edge for a single to third man and move to 99 off 96.
04:19 PM GMT
OVER 40: ENG 236/6 (Root 91 Overton 2)
Just the one run from Noor’s over and England will need 90 runs from the last 10 overs.
I will hand you over to my esteemed colleague Rob Bagchi to take you through the final 10 overs! Enjoy!
04:15 PM GMT
OVER 39: ENG 235/6 (Root 90 Overton 2)
Jamie Overton joins Root in the middle. An inspired choice from Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi to bring Gulbadin into the attack. Overton is off the mark with a couple into the legside.
England require 91 runs from 66 balls.
04:13 PM GMT
Wicket
Livingstone c Gurbaz b Gulbadin 10 Gulbadin is on for the first time today at a crucial juncture in this match and he gets Livingstone in his first over. Gulbadin does give some width but it is a slower ball. Livingstone is lured into going after it but only edges behind to Gurbaz, who takes the catch. FOW: 233/6
04:08 PM GMT
OVER 38: ENG 228/5 (Root 90 Livingstone 6)
Noor is back into the attack with his left-arm leg spin. Root brilliantly reverse sweeps Noor off the final ball of his over behind square in between two fielders for four to move into the 90s.
England require 98 runs from 72 balls.
This is Joe Root’s highest ODI score since 14 June 2019, the World Cup group stages. A stat which tells a few stories about English cricket since then: Test players have been in and out of the white-ball team and when they have played, they’ve not been lighting it up.
04:04 PM GMT
OVER 37: ENG 220/5 (Root 83 Livingstone 4)
Liam Livingstone is in at number seven and is off the mark first ball with a streaky boundary that flies off a genuine thick outside edge down to third man for four. In other news Farooqi is back on the field for Afghanistan.
04:02 PM GMT
Wicket
Buttler c Rahmat b Azmat 38 What was I saying about Afghanistan needing a wicket? Azmat bangs it in short and Buttler goes for the pull shot. It goes high in the air and Rahmat takes the catch, just with a bobble, at deep square leg. How big a moment will that be? FOW: 216/5
03:58 PM GMT
OVER 36: ENG 214/4 (Root 83 Buttler 37)
Afghanistan need a breakthrough and it is no surprise therefore that they have their best bowler on; Rashid.
Rashid had gone for just two runs before the final ball but then drops short with his last delivery, which Root punishes by pulling away for four. Rashid now has just two overs left in this innings.
03:54 PM GMT
OVER 35: ENG 208/4 (Root 78 Buttler 36)
We have had a long period of spin but now it is time for some pace as Azmat is brought back into the attack. There is some concern for Afghanistan as Farooqi, one of their other leading seamers, has gone off and looks in a bit of pain. England had injury concerns whilst they were bowling in the shape of Mark Wood and now Afghanistan have injury problems of their own.
Root attempts a pull and misses, with the ball narrowly missing the stumps. Keeper Gurbaz was appealing for a caught behind but no other Afghanistan players are interested. Replays show it hit Root’s back pocket so a good decision not to review.
03:47 PM GMT
OVER 34: ENG 203/4 (Root 76 Buttler 34)
Buttler hits hard through the offside and Azmat does well to keep it down to two as that was a powerful shot.
England have brought up their 200 and they require 123 runs from 96 balls.
03:41 PM GMT
OVER 33: ENG 197/4 (Root 74 Buttler 30)
These two have built the foundations of a really strong partnership but they both know there is plenty of work still to be done to take England to victory and keep them alive in this tournament.
Seven from the over and it is time for drinks.
03:37 PM GMT
OVER 32: ENG 190/4 (Root 71 Buttler 26)
Has that six got Buttler going? After depositing Nabi in his previous over, he does the same this time, sweeping him over the boundary for a 92-metre six, which brings up the 50 partnership.
England need 136 runs from 108 balls.
03:33 PM GMT
OVER 31: ENG 181/4 (Root 69 Buttler 19)
Root gets onto the back foot and powerfully hits past cover for four. Boundaries on consecutive balls. Root then demonstrates the high-class player he is as he flicks through the legside for two. Four one ball, good running the next. It definitely feels like England have upped the ante.
03:29 PM GMT
OVER 30: ENG 172/4 (Root 61 Buttler 18)
The required rate is just creeping up but that will help. Buttler has looked a little nervy but he has had enough of just singles. He comes down the ground to Nabi and flicks over deep mid-wicket for a big six.
03:26 PM GMT
OVER 29: ENG 163/4 (Root 59 Buttler 11)
Another appeal for LBW against Buttler but umpire Rod Tucker is having none of it. Afghanistan think about a review but this time opt against it. Buttler misses the final ball of the over and somehow it all misses the off stump. He is not looking entirely comfortable out there. There has been no boundary for 48 balls.
England need 163 runs from 126 balls.
03:22 PM GMT
OVER 28: ENG 160/4 (Root 57 Buttler 11)
Root reverse sweeps Nabi and great fielding on the boundary stops the four, restricting it to two. Root follows that up next ball with another couple into the offside. Root is looking strong here and he knows he will likely have to anchor this innings for the majority if not the rest of it.
There is then a big appeal for LBW against Buttler but umpire Joel Wilson is unmoved. Afghanistan think about the review and decide to use one of their two remaining reviews. There is no bat but it is only just clipping the outside of leg stump so the original not out call stands.
Off the final ball Buttler goes for a rather agricultural shot, hacking over mid-wicket for two.
How crucial could that narrow reprieve be? Jos Buttler, you feel, has to play a pivotal innings here. So far he’s started very slowly, but - as Afghanistan showed by scoring 113 from the last ten overs - this ground allows scope to accelerate. Watch out for him against Rashid Khan though. Until this game, Rashid had bowled 78 balls to Butter across formats, dismissing him five times at an average of just 11.
03:18 PM GMT
OVER 27: ENG 153/4 (Root 52 Buttler 9)
The boundaries have dried up a little for England here but the rate is still in hand for now.
Buttler decides to go for the reverse sweep but misses. Just two from the over.
03:14 PM GMT
OVER 26: ENG 151/4 (Root 51 Buttler 8)
A single into the legside brings up Root’s fifty, his 42nd in ODI cricket to go with 16 hundreds.
The England 150 is up but still plenty of work to be done.
03:12 PM GMT
OVER 25: ENG 147/4 (Root 49 Buttler 6)
This, as expected against Afghanistan, is a trial by spin for England. Five singles from Noor’s fourth over and Root is just one shy of a 50.
Halfway through the England innings.
03:08 PM GMT
OVER 24: ENG 142/4 (Root 46 Buttler 4)
Rashid is back on and he has a good head-to-head record against Buttler so no surprise to seem him brought back into the attack.
The first ball Buttler faces against Rashid; a single out to deep cover.
These two are more than capable of catching up but they do not want the required rate to get too high.
England need 184 from 26 overs.
03:05 PM GMT
OVER 23: ENG 137/4 (Root 44 Buttler 1)
Noor has just been warned by the umpires about running down the wicket in his follow through. Buttler is looking a little nervy and you have to imagine this is the game right here.
Just two runs from that over.
03:00 PM GMT
OVER 22: ENG 135/4 (Root 43 Buttler 1)
Captain Jos Buttler is in at number six and boy is he under some pressure. He may be one of the best one-day players this country has ever produced but he has probably never been under more individual pressure, knowing a defeat today will not only knock England out but also in all likelihood end his captaincy.
02:57 PM GMT
Wicket
Brook c&b Nabi 25 What have you done Brook? Just brainless cricket. Nabi drops very short and for some very strange reason Brook decides to just loop it straight back to him. He should have been smashing that ball away for a boundary but instead is heading back to the pavilion. FOW: 133/4
02:55 PM GMT
OVER 21: ENG 131/3 (Root 41 Brook 24)
Noor bowled one over, got taken off but is now back into the attack. With the spinners on Afghanistan are hoping to run through these middle overs without conceding too many and picking up the odd wicket to ramp up the pressure on England. This pair for England need to maintain a decent run-rate and not fall too far behind.
Noor is hoping to get out of the over conceding just a few singles but Root ends the over by sweeping behind square for four to move into the 40s.
02:51 PM GMT
OVER 20: ENG 124/3 (Root 36 Brook 22)
Nabi has been brought back into the attack. Root and Brook have batted so many times together and the running between the wickets is strong.
02:49 PM GMT
OVER 19: ENG 120/3 (Root 35 Brook 19)
Brook drives into the covers and good running brings him back for two. He replicates that next ball with another couple.
He then finishes the over with a sublime cover drive for four past cover’s left hand.
02:45 PM GMT
OVER 18: ENG 107/3 (Root 34 Brook 10)
Noor Ahmad is brought on for the first time today. Brook got a four first ball and he now has a four third ball with another late, this time a little finer. Noor’s first over goes for eight runs.
02:41 PM GMT
OVER 17: ENG 102/3 (Root 32 Brook 4)
Harry Brook joins Root in the middle and gets a boundary first ball. He is offered some width and cuts late behind square on the offside for four to bring up the England 100.
02:38 PM GMT
Wicket
Ducket LBW Rashid 38 He was dropped just a few moments ago by the Afghanistan captain but he makes up for it by that review. Duckett was struck on the pads and given not out but Afghanistan opted for the review. It was close to the bat but went just past it. Three reds and Duckett is gone! Those words from Rashid at the drinks break worked. FOW: 98/3
02:37 PM GMT
REVIEW!
This is the crucial partnership you feel during this chase and, during the drinks break, Rashid was talking in an animated fashion to his teammates. And has he picked up the wicket of Duckett just a few balls after the drinks break?
02:31 PM GMT
OVER 16: ENG 97/2 (Root 32 Duckett 38)
Just four singles from Farooqi’s over and it is time for drinks.
02:27 PM GMT
OVER 15: ENG 93/2 (Root 30 Duckett 36)
Duckett delicately lap sweeps down to fine-leg for a couple.
Off Rashid’s final ball Root gets onto the back foot and beats backward point, with the ball running away for four. Classy delicate late cut from Root.
02:24 PM GMT
OVER 14: ENG 85/2 (Root 25 Duckett 33)
Dropped! How big a moment could that be? Duckett gets a leading edge and he should be gone but captain Shahidi somehow drops it coming forward. Five runs from Farooqi’s fifth over.
Amazingly, given he wasn’t part of the first-choice team until September, Ben Duckett is arguably now England’s most valuable one-day batsman - the one man who has recent history of anchoring the innings with a big score. So that dropped catch, when he was on 30, feels like a huge moment.
Conditions remain excellent for batting, and could well become more so with the dew. Were this a normal bilateral match, England would probably be favourites.
02:19 PM GMT
OVER 13: ENG 80/2 (Root 24 Duckett 30)
Much to the delight of the Afghanistan fans inside the stadium, Rashid Khan is into the attack for the first time today. He drops just slightly too short and Duckett picked up the length so well, get down well to pull a ball that was not that short for four.
Root then flicks through mid-wicket for three. It should have been stopped in the ring and then Rahmat nearly makes a meal of it on the boundary.
The 50 partnership is then brought up off just 40 balls.
02:14 PM GMT
OVER 12: ENG 70/2 (Root 20 Duckett 24)
Azmat’s spell is over and Farooqi, who bowled three overs up front, is back into the attack and concedes just two singles from the over.
02:10 PM GMT
OVER 11: ENG 68/2 (Root 19 Duckett 23)
Nabi goes for four singles from the first five balls but off the final ball Root gets the reverse sweep out again, this time squarer but yields the same result. Eight from the over.
02:07 PM GMT
OVER 10: ENG 60/2 (Root 13 Duckett 21)
That is sublime from Duckett. He batted beautifully against Australia in the first match and has started well here, drilling Azmat through wide mid-off for four. He did not try to overhit that, just our pure timing and seeing the ball well.
That was not so good. Azmat rolls his fingers down the side of the ball to take a bit of pace off and Duckett is through the shot early. It loops over Azmat and lands safely. Duckett then gets a couple through cover.
The first powerplay is over.
Exactly the start that Afghanistan wanted. Shades of Delhi already. There are runs in this pitch - but Afghanistan have been much sharper than England both with the ball and in the field so far.
02:02 PM GMT
OVER 9: ENG 54/2 (Root 13 Duckett 15)
Nabi drags the ball down and Duckett pulls away through mid-wicket for two.
A few balls later Nabi gets too full and offers some width, which Duckett tucks into by drilling a flat shot over wide mid-off for four.
The England 50 is brought up with a single into the legside.
Root finishes the over with finesse, reverse sweeping fine for four, showing his class.
01:59 PM GMT
OVER 8: ENG 43/2 (Root 9 Duckett 8)
Root makes that look easy. Azmat strays onto his pads and Root nonchalantly flicks away in front of square for four. Those are gifts to players of Root’s calibre. Root is going to be essential for England if they are going to chase this score down and stay in the tournament.
01:55 PM GMT
OVER 7: ENG 38/2 (Root 5 Duckett 8)
Joe Root joins Duckett out in the middle with England already in trouble but he gets off the mark second ball with a boundary. He leans onto the back foot and pushes through cover point for an elegant four.
Off the final ball of Nabi’s first over Duckett gives himself room outside leg and looks to go over the offside. He misses it, the ball goes past leg stump and past the keeper to go away for four byes. Duckett lucky there.
01:51 PM GMT
Wicket
Smith c Azmat b Nabi 9 What are you doing? Afghanistan make an early bowling change, bringing Mohammad Nabi on to bowl, and it pays immediate dividends. Smith advances down the wicket to Nabi’s first ball and gets it all wrong, getting an outside edge which loops up to Azmat in the point region. That is just dreadful batting. FOW: 30/2
01:49 PM GMT
OVER 6: ENG 30/1 (Smith 9 Duckett 8)
Azmat strays onto Smith’s pads and the timing on the shot through mid-wicket is fantastic as the ball races to the boundary for four.
01:45 PM GMT
OVER 5: ENG 24/1 (Smith 4 Duckett 8)
Smith gets off the mark fifth ball with a brilliantly-timed drive through cover point for four. He has hit the ball well in the early stages of his innings.
Off the final ball of the over Smith attempts a pull shot and the ball gets a little high on him. It loops in the air towards mid-on but falls short. Smith’s heart would have been in his mouth just for a moment there.
01:40 PM GMT
OVER 4: ENG 19/1 (Smith 0 Duckett 7)
Jamie Smith is in at number three, not a position he is particularly familiar with. He makes good contact with his first three balls but drills them straight at the fielders.
Just two singles and the wicket of Salt in that over.
01:37 PM GMT
Wicket
Salt b Azmat 12 An early blow for England. Salt attempts to pull Azmat away but the ball is probably not quite short enough. Salt misses the ball clips the top of the bails. Great start for Afghanistan, not what England wanted. FOW: 19/1
Phil Salt just has not looked the part when it’s mattered in ODI cricket. He’s an excellent T20 opener, but lacks the sophistication or patience of Jason Roy, the man he ostensibly replaced.
01:34 PM GMT
OVER 3: ENG 17/0 (Salt 11 Duckett 6)
Salt flicks off his pads behind square and races back for two. A few balls later he is a little fortunate as he goes for a booming cover drive only to get an inside edge which misses the stumps and goes down to fine-leg for a single.
Duckett finishes the over by flicking a slower ball through square leg for a couple.
01:29 PM GMT
OVER 2: ENG 12/0 (Salt 8 Duckett 4)
Azmat Omarzai will open the bowling from the other end. He bowls three dot balls at Duckett before giving the England opener too much width, which Duckett capitalises on by drilling it through cover for four to bring up 1,000 runs in ODIs. He is the joint-fastest England batsman to 1,000 ODI runs in terms of innings, matching Kevin Pietersen, Jonathan Trott and Dawid Malan.
01:25 PM GMT
OVER 1: ENG 8/0 (Salt 8 Duckett 0)
Fazalhaq Farooqi will open the bowling for Afghanistan and Phil Salt will face up to the first ball, drilling it through wide mid-off. A nice way to settle a few nerves with a terrific shot from Salt.
Farooqi then changes his angle of attack, coming around the wicket, and strikes Salt on the pads. There are some appeals but it is given not out as it looked like it was sliding down.
Salt then drives on the up through cover for four more, highlighting just how good this pitch is. That shot has caused slip to already be removed.
01:18 PM GMT
England’s chase
Right, here we go. 50 overs to decide England’s fate; win and retain a shot at the knockout stages, lose and their semi-final chances will go up in smoke.
Phil Salt and Ben Duckett are making their way out to the middle.
No exaggeration to say Jos Buttler’s England captaincy, and possibly even his ODI career, hinges on whether his team have the character and the class to chase 326 here.
01:13 PM GMT
Michael Atherton on Sky
“We are going to find out a lot about England’s nerve and character here.
“It is 325 and in normal circumstances, you would say it is a flat pitch, a high-scoring ground and you would be confident it is a run chase England can manage.
“But then you put it into the context of tournament place on the line, Buttler’s place on the line, England woefully out of form in terms of ODI cricket having lost their last five and when you put that score into that context, it looks a bit bigger.”
01:10 PM GMT
The thoughts of Ibrahim Zadran
“I have been away from cricket for seven months with injury and it is not easy to come back into playing ODI cricket. The expectation was there from me, I wanted to play that sort of innings.
“I was under some pressure, but I enjoyed that feeling. I have been trying to work on my basics and take my time more in this format. I just try to keep my game simple and be disciplined.
“That is my job and I hope to perform more like that in the future.”
01:09 PM GMT
Wood injury
He already had strapping on his knee before the match, seen during the warm-ups, and he was struggling today as he fell over numerous times in his follow through. He went off the field for a while before returning to bowl but was still struggling. Even if England do keep their hopes alive of progressing with a win today, there is significant doubt as to whether Wood will even be able to play in subsequent games.
01:06 PM GMT
England under pressure
It feels a long time ago that England had Afghanistan 37-3 and it felt like the wheels came off as the innings went along and Ibrahim Zadran was flying. Even though this is a very good pitch, there is some much pressure on England, who will go out if they lose today, and captain Jos Buttler, who you would imagine would step down or lose the captaincy with a defeat. How will England cope with the pressure on their shoulders?
01:00 PM GMT
Stunning Zadran
Thank you to Rob for taking us through the first innings and I will take you through to what could be a thrilling conclusion.
Say what you will about England (and we will!), that was a brilliant innings from 23-year-old Ibrahim Zadran. His 177 came off 146 balls, including 12 fours and six sixes. He went past his own mark of 162 against Sri Lanka to register a new highest individual score for Afghanistan in ODI cricket and went past Ben Duckett to make the highest individual score in Champions Trophy history.
12:52 PM GMT
England should not despair yet
There’ll be a lot of focus on England’s travails - the misfields in the 47th over, when Joe Root went for 23, were particularly grim. But what an incredible innings from Ibrahim Zadran, breaking the Champions Trophy record score set by Ben Duckett at this ground on Saturday. Zadran got there through high-class classical shots - driving imperiously, including when lofting the ball straight. He also showed remarkable fitness, running four twos in the 46th over of his innings. The upshot is that England need something special of their own if they are to stay in the tournament. Lose, and they are out.
But while Afghanistan will be buoyant - and remember their easy defence of 284 against England in Delhi in the World Cup - England should not despair yet. The wicket is excellent to bat on. The score is probably about par - but, given the recovery from 37-3 and the pressure of knockout cricket, it will feel like a lot more. A potentially defining run chase for this England team awaits.
12:51 PM GMT
OVER 50: AFG 325/7 (Gulbadin 1 Rashid 1)
All’s well that ends well. Okay, maybe not, but England did at least keep control in that final over. Livingstone conceded only two runs, an outstanding over given the onslaught that preceded it.
Even so, England need 326 to stay in the Champions Trophy. It’s a very good pitch, but scoreboard pressure may transcend that.
12:49 PM GMT
Wicket!
Nabi c Root b Livingstone 40 Mohammad Nabi holes out to end a very handy cameo of 40 from 24 balls. England have so far avoided punishment in the last over: four balls, one run, two wickets. FOW: 324/7
12:48 PM GMT
Wicket!
Ibrahim Zadran c Archer b Livingstone 177 Zadran slog-sweeps Livingstone to cow corner to end an epic innings: 177 from 146 balls with 12 fours and 6 sixes. Many of the England players rush to congratulate him as he walks off the field; it was a stunning knock. FOW: 323/6
12:45 PM GMT
OVER 49: AFG 323/5 (Zadran 177 Nabi 40)
Overton starts his last over, with a few good yorkers - but then Zabran picks the slower ball and clatters it whence it came for six. Whatever England’s woes, this has been the most brilliant innings.
Afghanistan have scored 87 from the last six overs. It looks like Liam Livingstone will able to finish the innings with the ball.
12:39 PM GMT
The wheels are off for England – and some of it is self-inflicted
A relief for England that Livingstone is back on – but too late to bowl the over that Root got flayed for 23 in. The wheels look off for England and it is hard to say that some of it is not self-inflicted.
For all England’s mess, this has been a staggering knock from Zadran. What a player.
12:38 PM GMT
OVER 48: AFG 309/5 (Zadran 167 Nabi 38)
Zadran picks Archer’s slower ball and pumps it into the crowd. That’s his fifth six to go with 12 fours and a whole load of sharp singles. In fact this is now the highest individual score in Champions Trophy history. For a 23-year-old he has shown an extraordinary level of maturity, skill and risk-management.
Archer takes out his frustration on Mohammad Nabi, smacking him on the grille with a nasty bouncer. Nabi seems okay and is smiling as he undertakes a concussion test. Archer finishes with 10-0-64-3.
12:33 PM GMT
OVER 47: AFG 299/5 (Zadran 159 Nabi 36)
With Livingstone and Wood off the field, Joe Root has drawn the short straw and will have to bowl two overs at the death.
He starts around the wicket to Nabi, who smashes his first two balls over the leg side for six. The wheels are well and truly off here. A misfield from Duckett gives Nabi four more, then Zadran drives sweetly to the extra-cover boundary.
Afghanistan have scored 63 runs from the last four overs.
12:28 PM GMT
OVER 46: AFG 276/5 (Zadran 153 Nabi 19)
Another injury problem for England. Livingstone winces as he runs in from the boundary to field the ball; that looks like a calf injury and he’s heading to the dugout for treatment.
Ibrahim Zadran hits Overton for three consecutive twos to reach a remarkable 150 from 134 balls. It’s been a clinic in how to rebuild an innings after the loss of early wickets.
12:24 PM GMT
OVER 45: AFG 266/5 (Zadran 142 Nabi 18)
Nabi pulls Rashid to cow corner for six, just over the head of the flying Phil Salt. That brings up the fifty partnership in just 27 balls. Rashid ends his spell with figures of 10-0-60-1.
This is getting dangerously out of control for England. With Wood off the field, two of the last five overs will have to be bowled by Joe Root or Liam Livingstone.
12:20 PM GMT
England facing stiff runchase
Jofra Archer keeps going full outside off stump - and keeps missing the yorker length. This is very worrying for England: Afghanistan are going to clear their 284 in Delhi comfortably.
12:17 PM GMT
Middle-overs woe continues for England
So, even with Jamie Overton getting a wicket from the last ball of the 40th over, England’s struggles in the middle overs continue. They’ve only taken four wickets in 60 overs in this phase across their first two matches of the Champions Trophy, while conceding 362 runs - just over six an over. Apart from Adil Rashid, who can take wickets in the middle overs?
12:17 PM GMT
OVER 44: AFG 256/5 (Zadran 142 Nabi 10)
My word. Ibrahim Zadran deposits the first ball of Jofra Archer’s new spell over wide long on for six. That was a glorious shot; je picked the slower ball and launched it miles.
It’s the start of a wonderful over for Afghanistan and Zadran in particular. He times Archer for three successive boundaries behind square on the off side. Twenty from the over.
12:15 PM GMT
OVER 43: AFG 236/5 (Zadran 122 Nabi 10)
Wood continues to bowl through the pain. England might be entering a world of pain. Ibrahim backs away to chip a majestic one-bounce four down the ground.
Brook misses a chance to run-out Nabi, after which Wood stops to stretch his knee. He’s clearly in a lot of pain and at the end of the over he leaves the field for the second time.
12:08 PM GMT
OVER 42: AFG 227/5 (Zadran 115 Nabi 8)
Zadran pulls Overton just short of Archer at deep square leg. He decided to save the boundary rather than try to take the catch; replays suggest that was probably the wrong decision.
Nabi slashes his first boundary behind square to make it a good over for Afghanistan - ten from it.
12:04 PM GMT
OVER 41: AFG 217/5 (Zadran 113 Nabi 1)
Rashid gets through another boundaryless over, which England will take at thie stage of the innings.
12:00 PM GMT
OVER 40: AFG 212/5 (Zadran 109 Nabi 0)
That was the last ball of the over. Afghanistan have some explosive lower-order hitters so England certainly can’t relax.
11:59 AM GMT
Wicket!
Omarzai c sub (Banton) b Overton 41 A timely wicket for England. Azmataullah Omarazai slugs an Overton slower ball to long on, where the substitute Tom Banton takes a good two-handed catch. FOW: 212/5
11:54 AM GMT
OVER 39: AFG 210/4 (Zadran 108 Omarzai 40)
While England will still fancy their chances of chasing around 300 on what is a very good pitch, England surely didn’t see this coming when they reduced Afghanistan to 37/3.
Rashid restores some order with a terrific over that costs only a couple. There was a run-out check when he brushed the ball onto the stumps at the non-striker’s end; Zadran was safely in his ground.
11:53 AM GMT
Time to get behind the sofa
The brutal truth is that even on a pitch this flat with dew a factor I would be watching an England chase of 280 from behind the sofa. Afghanistan’s spin attack is perfectly set up to exploit their weaknesses.
11:46 AM GMT
OVER 38: AFG 208/4 (Zadran 107 Omarzai 39)
The charge is well and truly on. Azmatullah Omarzai belts Wood’s first two balls for 10, including a flat-batted six straight down the ground to bring up the 200.
An affronted Wood replies with a blistering yorker that hits Omarzai flush on the back foot and almost knocks him off his feet. It would have missed leg stump but Omarzai will need treatment.
When play resumes, Zadran plays a picture-perfect drive through extra cover for four.
11:44 AM GMT
Wood struggling to get through his overs
Mark Wood walking gingerly at short fine leg. It looks a tough ask for him to get through another four overs and complete his 10-over allocation. We’ll see.
11:43 AM GMT
OVER 37: AFG 190/4 (Zadran 100 Omarzai 29)
There it is! Ibrahim Zadran reaches his sixth ODI hundred, and his first against England, with a single off Livingstone. He is warmly applauded by everyone from Harry Brook on the boundary to Younis Khan on the Afghanistan balcony. It’s been a charming innings, full of class.
Omarzai clouts Livingstone back over his head for six to extend what is fast becoming a dangerous innings; he has 29 from 21 balls.
11:40 AM GMT
OVER 36: AFG 180/4 (Zadran 98 Omarzai 21)
Wood’s sixth over is more expensive - no boundaries but Afghanistan score off every ball. Ibrahim Zadran is now two runs away from an outstanding hundred.
11:34 AM GMT
OVER 35: AFG 172/4 (Zadran 94 Omarzai 17)
Livingstone returns and is milked pretty easily for five singles. Afghanistan had to go down the gears after the loss of Shahidi but they are still well placed for an assault at the death.
11:30 AM GMT
OVER 34: AFG 167/4 (Zadran 92 Omarzai 14)
This is an important moment. Mark Wood, who left the field earlier in the innings with a knee problem, is returning to the attack.
Wood is still limping heavily and you wonder whether, not for the first time in his career, he’s being selfless to a fault. His pace is only slightly down, around 88mph, and he concedes only two runs from an accurate over.
11:24 AM GMT
OVER 33: AFG 165/4 (Zadran 90 Omarzai 14)
The end of Archer’s eighth over heralds the second and final drinks break of the innings. It’s intriguingly poised, especially as Archer and Rashid only have five overs left between them.
11:18 AM GMT
OVER 32: AFG 159/4 (Zadran 86 Omarzai 13)
Azmatullah Omarzai, a very dangerous hitter, slog-sweeps Rashid for a huge six to move into double figures. Afghanistan will still fancy their chances of making 300; if they manage it, things could get very hairy.
11:14 AM GMT
OVER 31: AFG 149/4 (Zadran 84 Omarzai 5)
Jos Buttler takes the attacking option, bringing back Jofra Archer to attack the new batsman. It’s a quiet over, five singles and a wide.
11:09 AM GMT
OVER 30: AFG 143/4 (Zadran 82 Omarzai 2)
11:07 AM GMT
Wicket!
Shahidi b Rashid 40 If you want a job done right in the middle overs, ask Adil Rashid to do it. He has made a vital breakthrough with the third ball of his second spell, bowling Shahidi behind his legs with a full delivery that beat an attempted reverse sweep and skidded on to hit the stumps: FOW: 140/4
11:03 AM GMT
OVER 29: AFG 139/3 (Zadran 80 Shahidi 40)
Shahidi brings up the hundred partnership with a fabulous stroke, driving Root inside-out over extra cover. Afghanistan are going through the gears: they’ve scored 36 from the last four overs.
Mark Wood, who was off the field for around 40 minutes with a knee problem, will be able to bowl in the next few minutes.
10:58 AM GMT
Afghanistan building strong platform
Quietly, Afghanistan getting into a handy position now. It still looks like a good pitch - it’s a different track to for the England-Australia game, though perhaps not quite as good for batting. Teams have generally struggled to take wickets in the middle overs this competition, as England are once again. Afghanistan will aim to be, say, 190/4 after 40 overs giving them a platform to accelerate and aim to match the 284 that they got against England in Delhi in the 2023 World Cup. That, of course, was easily enough.
10:58 AM GMT
OVER 28: AFG 133/3 (Zadran 79 Shahidi 35)
Fabulous batting from Ibrahim Zadran. He makes room to flat-bat Overton for six, then clips the next ball elegantly through midwicket for four.
A sweetly timed pull is very well stopped by Livingstone on the boundary, saving two runs, but there’s nothing he can do when Zadran pulls the last ball well behind square for four. Sixteen from the over.
10:56 AM GMT
OVER 27: AFG 117/3 (Zadran 63 Shahidi 35)
Five low-risk singles from Root’s over. This has been a very mature partnership, one that bears the stamp of the coach Jonathan Trott.
10:55 AM GMT
Afghanistan cricketer calls out ICC for breaking human rights laws
By Sonia Twigg
Afghanistan women’s cricketer Firooza Amiri has criticised the International Cricket Council for “breaking gender equality” as well as the governing body’s own legislations.
As England take on Afghanistan in the Champions Trophy in Lahore, the match itself is played against a political backdrop. Already this year, Members of Parliament have called on the team to boycott the fixture and the England and Wales Cricket Board then urged the ICC to take stronger action, rather than ask players to take a stand themselves.
Amiri, who was forced to flee Afghanistan and the Taliban rule along with many of her teammates, spoke on The Sports Agents podcast about the country she was made to leave having full member rights on the ICC and receiving funding because of it. Yet the ICC’s own laws state that for a county to become a full member it has to have a women’s team or at least a commitment to growing the sport with the intention of having a team in the future.
“The ICC, they are not just breaking their own rules and then membership criteria,” Amiri explained.
“It’s against anti-discrimination and global human rights, and they are breaking gender equality as well in here, because they are not giving the same opportunity as they are doing the men’s team,” she added.
“We, despite everything political, societal, everything that we face, we decided to continue playing cricket, and we it’s just the reason that we left our country is just play for Afghanistan and represent Afghanistan.”
Amiri has urged the ICC to recognise the exiled players and allow them to play as a refugee team, after the historic occasion in Melbourne where an Afghanistan XI played a T20 exhibition game against Cricket Without Borders, their first competitive match since fleeing the country.
The Sports Agents is available to listen to now on Global Player, or wherever you get your podcasts
10:52 AM GMT
OVER 26: AFG 112/3 (Zadran 60 Shahidi 33)
Overton replace Livingstone. His first ball is chipped delightfully back over his head by Zadran. Shahidi takes a less elegant option, charging down the track and missing a wild smear across the line.
Afghanistan are going well now; they’ve taken 41 from the last seven overs.
10:49 AM GMT
OVER 25: AFG 103/3 (Zadran 52 Shahidi 32)
Shahidi gives Root the charge and drags a boundary wide of mid-on. Root responds well and almost skids one through Shahidi’s defences. England definitely need a wicket now.
10:44 AM GMT
OVER 24: AFG 98/3 (Zadran 51 Shahidi 28)
Ibrahim Zadran cracks Livingstone for a single to bring up a high-class fifty: 65 balls, three fours, two sixes. It might be time for a change of pace because England are just starting to let the game drift.
10:43 AM GMT
OVER 23: AFG 94/3 (Zadran 49 Shahidi 26)
Zadran, on 49, hammers the ball back at Root who can’t hold on. Was that a chance? No, replays confirm that he belted it into the ground.
Joe Root is doing a good job for England here, especially given the uncertainty over how much Wood will be able to bowl. How long can the Afghan batsmen respect Root like this? Buttler probably cannot believe his luck.
10:40 AM GMT
OVER 22: AFG 91/3 (Zadran 47 Shahidi 25)
Livingstone comes on for Root. Shahidi drives him for a single to bring up an important fifty partnership from 80 balls. Those three early wickets from Archer gave them little choice but to rebuild.
The over ends with a loopy full toss that is paddled deftly for four by Zadran. He’s a proper player, this guy.
10:36 AM GMT
OVER 21: AFG 84/3 (Zadran 43 Shahidi 22)
Shahidi gets a leading edge that drops well short of Root in his follow through.
England could do with a wicket here. They’re still on top but will be wary of chasing anything over 250 given what happened at the last World Cup.
10:33 AM GMT
OVER 20: AFG 81/3 (Zadran 42 Shahidi 20)
Zadran skips down to drive Rashid for a beautiful straight six. He continues to look a terrific player who, at the age of 23, should have thousands of runs left in him.
Afghanistan have played Rashid superbly so far; he has figures of 5-0-29-0, comfortably the most expensive of the England bowlers.
10:31 AM GMT
OVER 19: AFG 71/3 (Zadran 34 Shahidi 18)
Joe Root replaces Overton and makes a solid start, conceding only a couple.
10:30 AM GMT
OVER 18: AFG 69/3 (Zadran 33 Shahidi 17)
So much for Wood being out of the game and maybe the tournament: he’s returning to the field. It feels like a risk but maybe it’s just soreness in his knee rather than anything more serious.
10:24 AM GMT
OVER 17: AFG 65/3 (Zadran 30 Shahidi 16)
Afghanistan are starting to pick up singles with greater ease, and there are four more from Overton’s fourth over. At some stage they will have to up for tempo but for now Zadran and Shahidi are doing a good rebuilding job.
10:21 AM GMT
OVER 16: AFG 61/3 (Zadran 28 Shahidi 14)
Rashid continues after the drinks break and is milked skilfully for five more runs.
No news yet on Mark Wood’s condition but it’ll be a surprise if he bowls again today, maybe in the tournament.
10:13 AM GMT
OVER 15: AFG 56/3 (Zadran 27 Shahidi 10)
A wider ball from Overton is driven behind square for four by Shahidi, the first boundary in eight overs. With that, it’s time for drinks.
10:10 AM GMT
OVER 14: AFG 51/3 (Zadran 27 Shahidi 5)
Rashid’s second over is a better one for Afghanistan: three singles, a wide and a pair of twos for Zadran. He’s playing really nicely and is the only Afghan batter who has looked comfortable against England’s pace bowlers.
10:06 AM GMT
OVER 13: AFG 43/3 (Zadran 22 Shahidi 2)
Archer has a break after a fine spell of 6-0-22-3. Overton takes over and drives the batsmen onto the back foot with his usual hard length. Afghanistan are hanging in there but it feels like something has to give; it almost does when Zadran swishes and misses outside off stump.
10:03 AM GMT
England’s injuries starting to rack up
England’s new policy of picking the same players across all formats look nice on paper, but it’s going to put a lot of strain on valuable resources. Mark Wood is off the field, Brydon Carse has gone home crocked.
Even the batsmen were fraying in India, with Jacob Bethell, Jamie Smith and Ben Duckett all suffering muscle injuries of varying degrees of seriousness at the start of a massive year. England have so many resources and you have to wonder if McCullum’s desire to use all the same players – especially quicks – is at all sensible.
10:02 AM GMT
OVER 12: AFG 42/3 (Zadran 22 Shahidi 2)
Adil Rashid comes on for Overton, who may change ends to replace Archer. He’s straight on the money and is played watchfully by Zadran and Shahidi; at the moment Afghanistan are going nowhere.
09:59 AM GMT
Wood’s injury a real concern
Worrying signs for England with Mark Wood off the field after landing on his left knee – though he was able to complete the over before going off. He had surgery on that knee after the 2019 World Cup, so it’s a real concern given the challenges ahead this year.
In the immediate term it could create complications for England in this game – potentially, they might now need to bowl 16 overs between Liam Livingstone and Joe Root. Then again, the way Jofra Archer is bowling perhaps they will bowl Afghanistan out.
09:59 AM GMT
OVER 11: AFG 40/3 (Zadran 21 Shahidi 1)
Archer is given a sixth over, a sign of England’s aggression under Brendon McCullum. He’s hurried all the batsmen except maybe Ibrahim Zadran, and Shahidi is no exception. Just a wide from the over.
09:54 AM GMT
OVER 10: AFG 39/3 (Zadran 21 Shahidi 1)
Jamie Overton, who replaced the injured Brydon Carse in the XI, replaces the injured Mark Wood at the crease. A good first over, with his pace in the high 80s mph, yields a couple of singles for Afghanistan.
09:50 AM GMT
OVER 9: AFG 37/3 (Zadran 20 Shahidi 0)
The new batter is the captain Hashmatullah Shahidi.
09:49 AM GMT
Wicket!
Rahman c Rashid b Archer 4 If Wood doesn’t return England will need to find at least 16 overs from Liam Livingstone and Joe Root, assuming Afghanistan bat for the full 50.
That looks an increasingly dangerous assumption as they are now three down. Rahmat Shah top-edges a pull high to fine leg, where Adil Rashid takes a well-judged catch. Archer has 3/21 from 4.5 overs. FOW: 37/3
09:46 AM GMT
OVER 8: AFG 34/2 (Zadran 19 Rahmat 2)
Wood bowls the last two balls of the over and then leaves the field. He’s limping and it will be a surprise if he returns to the field; he’s far too important to England’s chances in Test cricket this year.
09:43 AM GMT
OVER 7.4: AFG 33/2 (Zadran 18 Rahmat 2)
Uh-oh, Mark Wood is injured and the physio is coming on. He’s shaking his head and limping when he tries to walk. It looks like an injury to his left knee. The balance of England’s team, with only four frontline bowlers, means they will have to improvise if Wood is unable to continue.
09:37 AM GMT
OVER 7: AFG 30/2 (Zadran 16 Rahmat 1)
Zadran hits back-to-back boundaries off Archer with two lovely shots, a square drive and a pristine stroke through mid-off. He looks a really good player and has the ability to anchor Afghanistan’s innings.
09:33 AM GMT
OVER 6: AFG 21/2 (Zadran 8 Rahmat 0)
England are going in for the kill, with two slips in place for Mark Wood. Zadran is beaten by successive back-of-a-length deliveries, then uses the pace to glide Wood to third man for six. It was just wide of Archer, running round the boundary.
Wood ends another superb over by vrooming his final delivery past the edge.
09:28 AM GMT
OVER 5: AFG 15/2 (Zadran 2 Rahmat 0)
Rahmat Shah is the new batter.
09:26 AM GMT
Wicket!
Sediq LBW b Archer 4 Two wickets in the over for Jofra Archer! The left-handed Sediqullah Atal flicks around a full delivery that hits him on the pad in front of middle and leg. It’s given out but Sediq reviews. Not sure why: that was plumb. FOW: 15/2
09:23 AM GMT
Huge wicket for England
Great start for England: sticking to the back-of-a-length tactics, and conceding just 11 from the first four overs - then Jofra Archer being rewarded for a fuller ball by Rahmanullah Gurbaz dragging on. That’s a huge wicket: Gurbaz is comfortably Afghanistan’s best player, and hit 80 from 57 balls during the World Cup victory in Delhi.
09:21 AM GMT
Wicket!
Gurbaz b Archer 6 That’s just what England needed. Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Afghanistan’s most dangerous batsman, has dragged a drive back onto the stumps to give Jofra Archer his 50th ODI wicket. FOW: 11/1
09:19 AM GMT
OVER 4: AFG 11/0 (Gurbaz 7 Zadran 2)
Another sizzling outswinger from Wood beats Zadran, who then gets off the mark from his ninth delivery with a drive to extra cover. Gurbaz is beaten by an even better delivery that pitches on off stump and swerves away. Good luck playing that at 95mph.
09:16 AM GMT
OVER 3: AFG 7/0 (Gurbaz 5 Zadran 0)
Gurbaz plays the first big shot, flicking Archer behind square for two. Rashid did well to save the boundary.
This has been a good start from England, accurate and menacing.
09:09 AM GMT
OVER 2: AFG 5/0 (Gurbaz 3 Zadran 0)
Mark Wood shares the new ball. Gurbaz takes a sharp single on the off side, with Zadran diving to make his ground just before Salt’s underarm throw hit the stumps.
Zadran is beaten by a terrific outswinger. In fact Wood is on the money through an excellent first over - one run from it.
09:06 AM GMT
A knockout match in all but name
The washout between Australia and South Africa has simplified the equation for England. This is a knockout match and if they win it, they effectively have a quarter-final against South Africa on Saturday. To win both those games requires a major upheaval of the form book but England do have the cattle to win these games. They just need their best players to step up, which they have not at any stage of this tour, which is now into its sixth week.
09:05 AM GMT
OVER 1: AFG 4/0 (Gurbaz 2 Zadran 0)
The pitch looks like a belter, as it was in the game against Australia on Saturday. Jofra Archer starts with a good first over, angling the ball into the right-handers from just back of a length. One ball drifts down the leg side for a wide but that aside it was a solid start.
08:56 AM GMT
England need early wickets
When England lost to Afghanistan at the 2023 World Cup they made a horrible start with the ball, allowing Afghanistan to reach 102/0 after 13 overs. They face the same opening pair of Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahima Zadran today and will be desperate to take some early wickets.
08:50 AM GMT
Afghanistan follow World Cup template
Afternoon from Lahore. After all the talk about the dew, Afghanistan have chosen to bat first. But that makes a lot of sense: it sets them up to repeat the template of their last game against England, in Delhi in the 2023 World Cup. Then, Afghanistan got 284; their spinners got eight wickets between then in a comfortable 69-run victory.
The dew might also be less of a factor for Afghanistan’s spinners. With the amount of spin that Afghanistan bowl, the dew will come a bit later in England’s innings. And - as that evening in Delhi suggested - the dew might help Afghanistan’s spinners in some way, if the balls skids on more. Rashid Khan, Afghanistan’s premier spinners, is also notably quick - operating well over 60mph, and not generating huge turn.
08:38 AM GMT
Team news
Jamie Overton replaces the injured Brydon Carse, England’s only change from the match against Australia. Afghanistan are unchanged.
England Salt, Duckett, Smith (wk), Root, Brook, Buttler (c), Livingstone, Overton, Archer, Rashid, Wood.
Afghanistan Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhag Farooqi.
08:34 AM GMT
Afghanistan win the toss and bat
That approach worked perfectly against England at the 2023 World Cup, when their spinners got to work on a tiring pitch in the second innings. England will hope that dew is as big a factor tonight as it was against Australia on Saturday.
08:18 AM GMT
Weather unlikely to affect England’s hopes
Yesterday’s match between Australia and South Africa in Rawalpindi was washed out but the forecast for Lahore is fine, with nothing to suggest we won’t get a full game.
08:09 AM GMT
The superpower England must rediscover to rule one-day cricket again
By Tim Wigmore
There were far more glamorous aspects behind England’s 2019 triumph: the openers’ belligerence; brutal hitting at the death from Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes; and an incisive and varied attack, marrying high pace with Adil Rashid’s leg-spin. But throughout the 2015-19 ODI cycle, England were the world’s best with the bat in the middle overs, the phase that accounts for 60 per cent of the innings.
England found what insiders called a “high cruising speed”: the ability to score at a run a ball in the middle overs with little risk. In music terms, this is akin to allegro tempo: brisk, but also sustainable.
07:55 AM GMT
A day of unmitigated shame
By Oliver Brown
At cricket’s male-dominated governing bodies, men with no conception of the horror being visited on Afghan women are naturally inclined to view it as no barrier to the staging of a men’s tournament. Even when all three of Afghanistan’s group-stage opponents – England, Australia and South Africa – have condemned the Taliban unequivocally, they still lack the gumption to refuse to play.
07:38 AM GMT
Good morning
Hello and welcome to live over-by-over coverage of England’s crucial Champions Trophy game against Afghanistan in Lahore. Whether England should be playing this game has been the subject of endless debate, but the match is going ahead and it’s already a must-win game for England.
Their defeat to Australia on Saturday, coupled with yesterday’s washout in Rawalpindi, means England will be out of the competition if they lose today. A win would set them up for a de facto quarter-final against South Africa on Saturday.
After two disappointing World Cups in the last two years, England captain Jos Buttler will be under pressure if England go out at the group stage. “Yeah absolutely,” said Buttler when asked whether the stakes were high for him today. “I think any time as an England captain, you want to perform, you want to perform well and you want to lead your team to winning games of cricket. We haven’t been doing that enough in the recent past.
“But as soon as you catch yourself thinking about any negative things, you just try and completely forget that and focus on all of the positive things that could go right and where you can take the team. I’m very much focused on that.”
England are likely to make just one change from the side that lost to Australia. Brydon Carse, who is out of the competition with a toe injury, will be replaced by Jamie Overton.
Afghanistan beat England emphatically at the 2023 World Cup and are dangerous opponents, not least because their greatest strength – slow bowling – matches up with one of England’s biggest weaknesses. Another trial by spin awaits England.
The match starts at 9am GMT.
