We will take confidence from our win against England in the 2023 ODI World Cup: Hashmatullah Shahidi
"I think we all know that England is one of the best teams so it's a tough challenge for us but we are ready for any kind of challenge," Hashmatullah Shahidi said.
Afghanistan registered one of their finest wins when they defeated England comprehensively by 69 runs in the ODI World Cup 2023 on October 15 in Delhi. The two teams are set to face each other once again in a crucial Group B clash in the ongoing Champions Trophy 2025 on Wednesday, February 26, at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.
Hashmatullah Shahidi, who continues to spearhead the Afghan side, asserted that the Blue Tigers will take confidence from the World Cup result against England. However, he acknowledged England's quality and said that his team will have to come out with a new mindset to get the better of the Jos Buttler-led side.
“In 2023 we had a good game against England and we beat them. We have that confidence with us, but that's part of history and now we have to go to ground with the new mindset and with the new planning,” Shahidi was quoted as saying in the pre-match press conference.
“I think we all know that England is one of the best teams so it's a tough challenge for us but we are ready for any kind of challenge and we worked hard to achieve - to reach to this level and we are ready to play every game in a positive way and we will take that confidence with us what happened in the 2023 World Cup - but yeah at the same time tomorrow is new day and we will try our best to beat them again,” Shahidi added.
Also Read: Champions Trophy 2025: Group B clash between South Africa and Australia called off due to rain
Afghanistan did not get off to an ideal start in the tournament, as they suffered a 107-run defeat to South Africa at the National Stadium in Karachi last week. Their clash against England can be described as a virtual knockout fixture with the loser joining Pakistan and Bangladesh in the list of eliminated teams.
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