Since Afghanistan has performed well at various ODI and T20 World Cups, coach Jonathan Trott emphasizes that Australia won’t take them lightly anymore in their Champions Trophy 2025 match on Friday as they vie for a semi-final spot.
Afghanistan won against England by eight runs in Lahore on the 4th of October, and this victory reflects their aspirations to be among the final four-match preparation.
Trott’s side is certain to face tough competition in Friday’s Champions Trophy 2025 match, especially since a chance to qualify for the semi-finals is at stake. They played against England, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka to finish in sixth place at the 50-overs World Cup in 2023 and made it through to the semifinal last year at the T20 format beating Australia.
“Everything’s on the line, and since I’ve been coach of the side, we’ve played Australia three times-and we’ve been in the game in each of those games,” former England batter Trott told reporters.
“We should take a lot of confidence from that… Certainly what happened in the World Cup, T20 World Cup, and I say this to the players as well, that Afghanistan’s going to be taken lightly ever again.
“We’re going to be prepared because I know Australia will not take this game lightly. Before, perhaps people would look at this fixture and think it was a little easier than playing against a historic Test nation.
“In this format, in these conditions, I don’t see that. Every time we step out to play, it’s competitive, and in every match, we go into, I expect us to win.”
Trott said that after he took charge of the team in 2022, they were raw but have now matured through the match experience.
“I’m quite an ambitious type of guy, and I’m ambitious with these talented players,” he said.
“Who knows what we can achieve.”
