Labuschagne stated the team is focused on winning against Afghanistan in Lahore, despite potential crowd support for the opposition.
Australian batsman Marnus Labuschagne has stated he has “no issues” playing against Afghanistan in their upcoming Champions Trophy match on Friday. Both teams will compete in their final group game in Lahore with significant stakes: a win for either side secures a place in the semi-finals.
The match is notable because of the backdrop of Australia’s prior decision to boycott bilateral cricket against Afghanistan. This boycott was a protest against the Taliban’s policies banning women and girls from playing cricket and their broader restrictions on women’s rights. However, Australia has continued to participate in ICC events against Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover in 2021, including matches at the 2022 T20 World Cup, the 2023 ODI World Cup, and the 2024 T20 World Cup.
“It’s an ICC tournament,” Labuschagne explained. “As per the schedule, we are set to play Afghanistan. Speaking for myself, I personally have no problem playing tomorrow’s match. While Cricket Australia has taken certain stances in the past, our current focus is solely on the game against Afghanistan tomorrow.”
Australia is not alone in adopting different approaches for bilateral and ICC events when facing Afghanistan. Recently, England’s match against Afghanistan proceeded despite calls for a boycott from UK politicians. Jonathan Trott, Afghanistan’s English coach, acknowledged the difficult situation in Afghanistan, and several Afghan players have publicly protested the increasing limitations on women’s public lives. In a notable upset, Afghanistan defeated England in that match, eliminating England from the tournament.
This victory puts Afghanistan close to reaching the semi-finals for the second consecutive ICC event, potentially with strong crowd support in Lahore. Australia is experienced in handling such conditions.
“We aim to win tomorrow and quiet the crowd,” Labuschagne commented. “Our priority is to maintain our game plan and concentrate on our performance. We must be prepared for any situation and perform to the best of our abilities.”
However, the weather might intervene. Australia’s training session was moved indoors due to rain in Lahore on Thursday, and Afghanistan cancelled their training. Further heavy rain is expected, potentially affecting Friday’s game. Ironically, after rain-affected matches contributed to Australia’s elimination from the 2017 Champions Trophy, a washout in this game would guarantee Australia’s progression to the semi-finals.
“As players, we always prefer to play,” Labuschagne concluded. “A complete washout would mean we advance to the semi-finals. However, our preference is to win the game and top our group. That’s our goal, to win all matches leading up to the semi-finals. But these external factors are beyond our control, so we’ll need to be ready for any scenario tomorrow, even if it’s a shortened match.”
