LAHORE: The crucial match of Afghanistan team against Australia in the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025, was washed out due to rain, which significantly reduced their chances for semi-final qualification on Friday here at the Gaddafi Stadium.
Australia has secured a spot in the tournament’s semi-finals after their last two matches ended without results. They finished with four points, making them the first team from Group B to advance to the Final Four.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan still has a chance to progress in the tournament knock-out stages.
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For Afghanistan to qualify for the tournament’s semi-final, South Africa must lose to England by 207 runs while chasing a target of 301. This difficult equation makes their chances of qualification slim.
If England sets a target for South Africa, they must win by at least 207 runs. This is crucial because if England wins by just 206 runs, Afghanistan and South Africa will have equal net run rates (NRR). In that case, South Africa would qualify due to their head-to-head victory over Afghanistan.
If England is chasing a target set by South Africa, they need to score 250 runs in 19 overs or 150 runs in 13.3 overs to significantly lower South Africa’s NRR, which might help Afghanistan qualify. Other scoring scenarios could also influence their NRRs.
With this in mind, a no-result from the match in Lahore means that the semi-final teams from Group B are nearly determined.
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Updated Group B standings after Afghanistan-Australia washout
| Team | Played | Won | Lost | N/R | Tied | Points | NRR |
| Australia (Q) | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | +0.475 |
| South Africa | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | +2.140 |
| Afghanistan | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | -0.990 |
| England (E) | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -0.305 |
Earlier, Australia were in total control of the 274 chase when rain arrived, having scored 109-1 in 12.5 overs. This strong performance was driven by Travis Head’s brilliant batting, who smashed 59 runs off 40 balls. His innings included nine fours and one six.
The opening pair of Matthew Short and Head, gave a flying start to Australia’s pursuit of a target of 274.
The duo put together a brisk 44-run stand in 4.3 overs, until all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai claimed the wicket of Short, giving Afghanistan a much needed breakthrough.
Short scored 20 off 15 deliveries, laced with three fours and one six.
After the wicket, skipper Steve Smith joined Head at the crease, and the pair added 65 runs together, placing Australia in a commanding position. Both Smith, who scored 19 runs, and Head remained unbeaten when play was halted due to the rain.
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