Feb 28 (V7N) – Afghanistan have won the toss and elected to bat first against Australia in their crucial Group B encounter of the ICC Champions Trophy. This match, effectively an unwritten quarter-final, will determine which team secures a spot in the semi-finals.

Playing XIs:

Australia:

Steve Smith (captain), Alex Carey, Nathan Ellis, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Matt Short, Adam Zampa, Ben Dorshuis, Spencer Johnson.

Afghanistan:

Hashmatullah Shahidi (captain), Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Gulbadin Naib, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmed, Fazlhaq Farooqui.

Australia hold a dominant record over Afghanistan in ODI cricket, having won all four of their previous encounters. However, Afghanistan will look to change history and book their place in the semi-finals with a strong performance.