Every press conference at this tournament is live streamed on the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Facebook page.
Most of the cricketers who make up the highly-talented Afghan team still live in the country. Even those that don’t, such as star spinner Rashid Khan, who moved to Dubai before the fall of Kabul in August 2021, still have family there.
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Read MoreNo wonder then that Shahidi was guarded when speaking on Tuesday. A question about his thoughts on British MPs calling for England to pull out of this game was flat-batted so convincingly there’s no value in repeating the answer here.
The ICC have promised to provide the exiled Afghan players now living in Australia with the funds and support to compete on the international stage.
“Yeah, everyone likes to see everyone play,” he said. “As I said before, when it comes to politics and those things we cannot control – we are only cricket players.”
The decision by western powers to withdraw from Afghanistan in 2021 was made by politicians. It helped create this current situation.
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Match: Afghanistan v England Venue: Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore Time: 9am Wednesday How to watch: Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Cricket from 8.30amTeams
Afghanistan (probable): R Gurbaz (wicketkeeper), I Zadran, S Atal, R Shah, H Shahidi (captain), O Omarzai, M Nabi, G Naib, R Khan, N Ahmed, F Farooqi
England: PD Salt (wicketkeeper), BM Duckett, JL Smith (wicketkeeper), JE Root, HC Brook, JC Buttler (captain), LS Livingstone, J Overton, JC Archer, AU Rashid, MA Wood
Umpires: J Wilson (West Indies), S Shahid (Bangladesh) TV umpire: A Raza (Pakistan) Weather: 28 degrees, sunnyIn this context, the result of the game between these two teams at Gaddafi Stadium on Wednesday doesn’t really matter, even if the stakes on the field are high.
One of those came against Afghanistan in the World Cup at Delhi in November 2023. It was the result that sent the campaign into a tailspin and first increased the pressure on former coach Matthew Mott and captain Jos Buttler.
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Read MoreThe runfest at this venue on Saturday, when Australia chased down 352 with plenty to spare will be instructive to England. This match will also be played on a fresh pitch, meaning even more runs are likely.
The fresh surface might also help negate the threat of Afghanistan’s spinners, led by Rashid.
With his captaincy now hanging by a thread, Buttler admitted the stakes are now particularly high for him personally.
He also praised the work of the ECB in helping educate the players about the political issues surrounding this fixture, adding: “We’re saddened by the plight of women in Afghanistan. We hope this game can be a source of hope to people.”
Jonathan Trott: Players know right from wrong
Afghanistan coach Jonathan Trott has admitted his players are concerned by the brutal repression of women in the country but are caught in an impossible position when it comes to challenging the Taliban regime.
Last month, almost 200 MPs wrote a letter calling for a boycott of the game in opposition to the Taliban’s “gender apartheid” and the fact they have disbanded the country’s women’s team in contravention of International Cricket Council rules.
The ECB resisted those calls and have said the only way to enact change in Afghan cricket is through action from the ICC.
Trott voices his ‘concerns’ over women’s treatment in Afghanistan (Photo: Getty)Trott, a three-times Ashes winner who has been in his current job since 2022, says he has spoken to his players about the issues. Among the raft of repressive measures against women in Afghanistan, they are banned from working and girls over the age of 12 cannot be educated.
“When you get the players one-on-one, some of the stories of where they come from, it is amazing they are here now,” Trott told the BBC.
“I know they are very aware of what is going on in their country. The majority of players who have a voice on social media, they have voiced their disapproval of what is currently taking place and the importance of equality for everyone.
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Read More“I try to be as compassionate about everything they are going through and the country is going through but with my own ideas and knowledge of the difference between right and wrong.
Asked whether his team, who beat England at the 2023 World Cup and reached the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup last year, were representing the regime or the Afghan people, Trott said: “They know who they are playing for and representing. I can’t speak for individuals but can speak for my intentions and passions for the game of cricket and trying to leave the game in a better place. I will always do that.
Trott, 43, was born in Cape Town when South African teams were banned from international sport during apartheid. Hitting his formative years through the period of transformation he has first-hand knowledge of the power of sport to enact change.
“I think I grew up in the best country to live or grow up in the mid-90s or 2000s. I am proud of where I come from and the change the country made for the betterment of everybody. Hopefully one day I can see that in Afghanistan.”
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