Rashid Khan, the star spinner from Afghanistan and a pivotal player for the Adelaide Strikers in the Big Bash League (BBL), faces an uncertain future. His concerns stem from repeated postponements and cancellations by Cricket Australia of their scheduled matches with Afghanistan, citing deteriorating conditions for women and girls in Afghanistan as the cause.

Rashid Khan’s Background

Rashid Khan has emerged as one of the most exciting and effective spin bowlers in the world of cricket. From his debut in 2015, Rashid’s career trajectory has been nothing short of meteoric, highlighting his significant impact in T20 leagues around the globe, including the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the BBL.

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Afghanistan Cricket on the Rise

Despite the political and social challenges in Afghanistan, its cricket team has shown remarkable progress and resilience. Their performances in recent international fixtures, especially in limited-overs formats, have earned them respect and admiration on the global stage.

The Australia-Afghanistan Controversy

In March 2023, Australia withdrew from a planned one-off Test and a one-day international series against Afghanistan in the UAE. The official stance pointed to worsening conditions for women under Afghanistan’s current regime as the reason.

This decision by Cricket Australia has visibly upset Rashid, who values the competition and learning that comes from playing against top-tier cricket nations. He expressed his disappointment, stating it diminishes his and his countrymen’s contributions and opportunities.

Significance of Bilateral Series

Bilateral series are crucial for the growth and competitiveness of emerging cricket nations like Afghanistan. These matches provide invaluable experience and exposure that cannot be replicated in other formats or competitions.

Potential Consequences for BBL

Rashid’s potential departure from the BBL would be a significant blow to the league, given his popularity and skill level. This scenario underscores the broader implications of geopolitical issues on international sports leagues.

“It does hurt you. You do want to play against the best teams and that’s where your cricket is going to improve more and more. You only get the opportunity playing against them [Australia] in the World Cups, but not in bilateral series. You don’t want to play with my colleagues and you want to play with me. So what’s the difference? It means I’m putting my colleagues down as well. My country down as well,” he said.

In a recent announcement, Cricket Australia (CA) disclosed the postponement of the three-match T20 International series against Afghanistan, initially scheduled for August. This decision underscores the gravity of human rights issues prevailing in Afghanistan and reflects CA’s commitment to advocating for improved conditions, particularly for women and girls.

The decision to postpone the series comes after prior instances of deferred matches between the two cricketing nations. Earlier, CA postponed the ODI series against Afghanistan set for March 2023 due to alarming deteriorations in human rights conditions for women and girls in Afghanistan. The decision was made in consultation with the Australian Government, emphasizing a concerted effort to await improved circumstances for Afghan citizens, especially women and girls.

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Reasons for Postponement

The ongoing consultations between CA and the Australian Government have revealed a consistent worsening of conditions for women and girls in Afghanistan over the past year. As a result, CA has reaffirmed its stance on prioritizing human rights concerns and has decided to postpone the bilateral series against Afghanistan.

“Following consultation with the Australian Government, CA previously postponed the ODI series against Afghanistan scheduled for March 2023 after a marked deterioration in human rights for women and girls in Afghanistan, stating we would: ‘Continue to engage with the Afghanistan Cricket Board in anticipation of improved conditions for women and girls in the country,’ CA issued the statement.

The postponement echoes a similar scenario from January 2023, when Australia deferred an ODI series against Afghanistan scheduled for March of the same year due to analogous human rights issues. At that time, the decision was prompted by the Taliban’s imposition of further restrictions on women and girls’ education and employment in Afghanistan. Such actions directly contradicted the principles of inclusivity and equality upheld by CA and the broader cricketing community.

Impact on Afghanistan Players

The repeated postponements have evoked mixed reactions from Afghanistan players. Senior star Rashid Khan expressed disappointment over Australia’s decision, highlighting the setback it posed in the journey of Afghanistan cricket. His sentiments were echoed by former captain Mohammad Nabi, who emphasized the need for equal opportunities and platforms for Afghan players to showcase their talent on the global stage.

Response from Afghanistan Players

In a statement on X (formerly Twitter), Rashid Khan conveyed his disillusionment with Australia’s stance, indicating a potential reevaluation of his participation in the Big Bash League (BBL) due to the discomfort surrounding Australia-Afghanistan cricket engagements. Similarly, Mohammad Nabi condemned CA’s decision, emphasizing the strides made by Afghan cricket and the potential it holds if provided with the right opportunities.

Australia-Afghanistan Cricket History

The history between Australia and Afghanistan in cricket is marked by notable encounters, including their clash in the 2023 ODI World Cup league stage. Despite facing a formidable challenge from Afghanistan, Australia managed a remarkable comeback, showcasing the competitive spirit and resilience inherent in cricket.

Australia has in the past toyed with the Afghanistan side in World Cup encounters. They beat them soundly in 2015 and 2019 and had zero fear against the Afghanistan unit. The 2023 encounter though holds a different scenario. Afghanistan now pose a bigger threat and proof of it is the fact that they are looking to seal a Semi-Final spot deep in the tournament.

Afghanistan almost upset Australia last year in the T20 World Cup. Australia will be cautious as they will also be boosted. Mitchell Marsh and Glenn Maxwell are back but there is a case of Steve Smith missing out with an injury.

AUS vs AFG Match Details

Date: November 7th, 2023

Time:  2:00 PM IST

Venue: Wankhede, Mumbai

AUS vs AFG Weather Report

The weather looks pretty clear for the upcoming fixture.

AUS vs AFG Pitch Report

Spin has been very minimal at Wankhede while runs are easy to come by. Batting first and batting the opposition out of the game is the likely strategy.

AUS vs AFG Head-to-Head

AUS vs AFG Predicted Playing XI

AFG Playing XI

Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Najibullah Zadran, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Naveen Ul Haq

AUS Playing XI

David Warner, Travis Head, Steve Smith, Mitchell Marsh, Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis, Glenn Maxwell, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Adam Zamp

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AUS vs AFG Key Players

Rashid Khan

Rashid Khan has not been at his best when it comes to the wickets column so far. He’s averaging 43 and with a Semi-Final spot on the line Rashid Khan will want to bring out his best and stand up when it matters the most.

Mitchell Marsh

Mitchell Marsh has looked a little lost after moving down the order. Not known to be a great starter against spin, Australia will be hoping to see him get some runs and get comfortable with the tournament heading into its Final stages.

AUS vs AFG Match Tips

Australia are favorites on a batting paradise while Afghanistan may have a slight chance if they manage to extract a slight amount of turn.

Match Prediction: Australia Will Win the Match

AUS vs AFG Match Preview

On Tuesday, Australia will face Afghanistan in match 39 of the 2023 Cricket World Cup at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium. Australia, which has previously won this trophy five times, is in excellent form and currently sits third in the table. Australia were not at their best on Saturday, but they were still able to defeat England, the 2019 Cricket World Cup champions. This will be a different contest against a confident Afghanistan side, but Australia should be able to win in Mumbai. Afghanistan’s four victories in this tournament have come by wide margins, but they would be content with a narrow victory over Australia. Hashmatullah Shahidi’s team will take the attacking approach throughout the game and could cause Australia a lot of problems.

AUS vs AFG Match Details

Australia vs Afghanistan– 39th Match

Venue: Wankhede Stadium – Mumbai

Date & Time: 07th November 2023 at 02:00 PM IST 

Live Streaming: Disney+ Hotstar

AUS vs AFG Venue Stats

AUS vs AFG Pitch Report

There is something in this wicket to help the bowlers but strong batters should also be looking forward to their innings at the Wankhede Stadium. A par score will be between 320 – 340.

AUS vs AFG Weather Report

According to the forecast, it will be sunny with cloudy spells and a top temperature of 32 degrees in Mumbai on Saturday. No rain will fall across the match.

AUS vs AFG Last Five Matches

AUS vs AFG Head-to-Head Stats

Injury News

No Injury. Will be added when there is an update.

AUS vs AFG Probable Playing XIs:

Australia Probable Playing XIs

Travis Head, David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Steven Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis (wk), Glenn Maxwell, Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood

Afghanistan Probable Playing XIs

Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Ikram Alikhil (wk), Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi

Topmost Picks for AUS vs AFG Dream11 Prediction:

Top Picks – Australia

• David Warner – The opener is averaging over 61 in the Cricket World Cup 2023 and has scored 48 international centuries. He will look to take on the Afghanistan bowlers from the first ball.
• Pat Cummins – The skipper has found a consistency to his ODI bowling during this tournament and picked up the crucial wickets of Dawid Malan and Liam Livingstone in the last match.

Top Picks – Afghanistan

• Rahmat Shah – The 30 year old right-handed number three batter had a slow start to this campaign but has now hit 227 runs from his last four innings.
• Fazalhaq Farooqi – The 23 year old left-arm quick bowler took 4/34 only two games ago in Pune and we expect him to get the most out of this pitch in Mumbai.

T20 World Cup’22, AUS vs AFG:  Australia 168 for 8 (Maxwell 54*, Marsh 45, Naveen-ul-Haq 3-21) beat Afghanistan 164 for 7 (Rashid 48*, Gulbadin 39, Zampa 2-22) by four runs

With an assertive, unbeaten half-century, Glenn Maxwell did his best to keep Australia’s semi-final hopes alive, but Afghanistan’s classy performance at Adelaide Oval, led by Rashid Khan, ended the hosts’ chances of reaching the knockout stages.

Before England’s final group match against Sri Lanka on Saturday, defending champions Australia needed to keep their opponents to 106 runs or less to surpass England’s net run rate. 

After Naveen-ul-Haq and Fazalhaq Farooqi took five wickets each, the hosts were able to restrict their opponents to a total that appeared competitive for the match but not enough to ensure their progression. Maxwell’s knock helped the hosts reach 168 for 8 in their 20 overs.

New Zealand has secured a place in the semi-finals (Australia needed to beat Afghanistan by 185 runs to beat their NRR), and the Black Caps’ 89-run victory in their first match proved to be so costly to Australia’s attempt to defend its title.Now, Australia will be eliminated unless Sri Lanka upsets England; England will join New Zealand in the next phase if they win.

Gulbadin Naib and Ibrahim Zadran shared a 59-run stand for the third wicket, chasing 169, but Australia regained control with a flurry of four wickets in nine balls, two of which fell to Adam Zampa in his final over. Australia prevailed by four runs despite Rashid’s unbeaten 48 off 23 balls at stumps thrilling his own supporters at the venue he referred to as his “second home.” Despite the apprehension of the home crowd, Australia prevailed.

HIGHLIGHTS

Controversial call

Given what was at stake for Australia in this match, there was a lot of talk about it, and when Mitchell Starc was left out of their line up, the talk got even louder. After failing to fully recover from hamstring injuries, Aaron Finch and Tim David were replaced by Cameron Green and Steve Smith, a move that sparked less controversy. However, the decision by Starc to make way for Kane Richardson baffled both viewers and commentators. Starc had been primarily used in the middle overs of this tournament, but it was thought that he might have missed an opportunity here because of his damaging yorker and demonstrated ability to smash opposing sides.

As it turned out, Richardson struck with his third ball of the tournament, bowling Rahmanullah Gurbaz out for a brisk 30 off 17 deliveries. Gurbaz had made an exciting start by hitting the sixth ball of Afghanistan’s innings into deep square leg off Josh Hazlewood. He survived a sharp run-out chance when Pat Cummins side-footed the ball onto the stumps, apparently hurting his shoulder as the two collided accidentally.Gurbaz made a valuable contribution and was declared fit to bat.

Maxwell, Marsh play their part

After Cameron Green was run out for three in the third over, Mitchell Marsh hit Farooqi to Gulbadin at slip and took over. By this time, David Warner had consumed four fours and was running for everything. But it was ineffective. Before Marsh was killed at point by Najibullah Zadran off Gulbadin with 19 men to his name, he had seen Warner and Smith leave in the same Naveen. After reaching 45 off 30, Marsh slog-swept Mujeeb Ur Rahman over the square leg boundary and sent Gulbadin’s leg-cutter directly into the stands. However, he top-edged Mujeeb and fell directly above his head, allowing Gurbaz to secure the catch behind the stumps.

Hence Maxwell’s superb innings, in which he powered to 54 runs not out in 32 deliveries.To keep Australia’s pace and momentum going, he hit some impressive shots through the covers and twice cleared the fence over midwicket.

Afghanistan tease heartbreaker

The three wickets that Naveen took were crucial in putting an end to an Australian team that needed as many runs as possible to help their troubled title hopes. Then, Afghanistan was within touching distance of the magical 106-run total, which would have greatly improved Australia’s NRR comparison with England, thanks to Gurbaz’s strong start and Gulbadin’s determined innings before he was run out by an excellent Maxwell throw from midwicket. 

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Afghanistan still missed the mark when they went from 98 for 2 to 99 for 5 and 103 for 6.

Then came Rashid, a Big Bash star for the Adelaide Strikers, who scored his best T20I score ever. He then hit four sixes, including back-to-back maximums off Richardson over deep midwicket and long-off, one off Marcus Stoinis beyond deep square leg, and one off Richardson over deep midwicket and long-off, both of which went into the stands. These two sixes required his team to score 12 off the final two balls of the match. He scored two through the gap between long-on and long-off, followed by a four, which missed Afghanistan’s goal but still excited the crowd.