Afghanistan captain eyes to benefit from coach Younis Khan’s ‘knowledge’

LAHORE: Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi said that his team is committed to use batting coach Younis Khan’s knowledge to their advantage ahead of their ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 match against England, scheduled to be played here at the Gaddafi Stadium on Wednesday.

Shahidi, while addressing the pre-match press conference here, spoke highly of the former Pakistan captain and expressed his hope that the latter’s familiarity with the conditions in the host country would come in handy for his side.

“Younis Khan is a legend, and we are trying to benefit from his experience. When he speaks, everyone listens,” Shahidi said.

“He has played a lot of cricket in Pakistan, and he knows these pitches and grounds well. We will try to use that knowledge to our advantage,” he added.

Afghanistan, making their first appearance in the prestigious tournament, had an unwanted start to their maiden campaign as they suffered a 107-run defeat against South Africa.

Reacting to the defeat, Shahidi acknowledged that their spinners did not get much assistance from National Bank Stadium’s pitch but remained hopeful that Lahore would favour their spin arsenal.

“Our spinners didn’t get much help in Karachi, but we are hopeful that conditions in Lahore will be in our favour,” stated Shahidi.

Afghanistan’s road to the semi-final after the abandonment of the Group B fixture between Australia and South Africa became tougher but Hashmatullah Shahidi remained confident in his team’s chances, stating that their performance on the field would determine their fate.

“No matter what people say, nothing changes. If we want to reach the semifinals, we have to put in the hard work on the field,” he concluded.