Afghanistan skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi has asked his team to overlook calls for boycott and concentrate on their Champions Trophy campaign, as they get ready to take on South Africa in their Group B opener in Karachi on Friday.
Recent political rivalry has ignited disputes over Afghanistan’s involvement, with others urging a boycott. Shahidi insists, though, that the team’s focus is cricket, not politics, and they aim to prove themselves on the pitch.
Afghanistan have been in strong shape, winning a series against South Africa recently, and that gives them confidence going into the much-hyped encounter. Shahidi indicated faith in his team’s capability to compete at the elite level, indicating their increasing presence on the international circuit.
With a good lineup and growing momentum, Afghanistan hope to make a deep tournament run, closing off distractions and concentrating on producing results against big teams.
