Australia’s Marnus Labuschagne has stated he has “no issues” playing against Afghanistan in their crucial Champions Trophy clash on Friday. With both teams vying for a semi-final spot, victory for either side in Lahore will guarantee progression to the knockout stage.
However, the match comes amidst continued scrutiny over Australia’s stance on playing Afghanistan. Cricket Australia has refused to engage in bilateral series against Afghanistan in protest of the Taliban’s restrictions on women’s cricket and broader gender-based exclusions. Despite this, Australia has faced Afghanistan in ICC tournaments since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, including the 2022 T20 World Cup, the 2023 ODI World Cup, and the 2024 T20 World Cup.
“It’s an ICC tournament, and according to the schedule, we’re playing Afghanistan,” Labuschagne said. “Personally, I have no issues with playing tomorrow. But as everyone knows, Cricket Australia has taken certain stances in the past. Right now, we’re focused on the game ahead.”
Australia is not the only team navigating this complex situation. England played Afghanistan on Wednesday despite calls from UK politicians urging them to boycott the match. Afghanistan’s head coach, Jonathan Trott, acknowledged that his team understands the issues in their country, while several Afghan players have publicly spoken out against the restrictions placed on women.
Afghanistan’s thrilling eight-run win over England eliminated the defending champions and put them on the verge of back-to-back ICC tournament semi-finals. With a passionate crowd expected to support Afghanistan in Lahore, Australia is bracing for a challenging atmosphere.
“We’d love to win and silence the crowd,” Labuschagne said. “But for us, it’s about sticking to our process and focusing on the game. We need to be ready for whatever comes our way and perform at our best.”
Rain Could Play a Decisive Role
Australia’s preparations were disrupted on Thursday as rain forced their training session indoors, while Afghanistan opted to cancel their optional practice. With more heavy rain forecast overnight and into Friday, the match itself remains in doubt.
If the game is washed out entirely, Australia will automatically advance to the semi-finals due to their superior standing in the group—an ironic twist, considering they were eliminated in the 2017 Champions Trophy due to multiple rain-affected matches.
“As players, you always want to play,” Labuschagne admitted. “Obviously, if the match is completely rained out, we go through to the semi-finals. But ideally, we want to win and finish top of the pool. That’s been our aim—to win all our games leading into the semis. Ultimately, the weather is out of our control, so we just have to be ready for whatever comes our way, even if it’s a shortened game.”
