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ENG vs AFG

What an exciting match it was! A fantastic win for the Afghans. 50-over cricket is going nowhere, it's here to stay, especially with multi-nation tournaments. Let's face it - T20s are shorter and more exciting, but not all matches go down to the wire. There will be boring, predictable, one-sided matches too. ODIs are the perfect blend of T20s and Test matches. ODIs may not pull the crowd like they used to before the advent of T20s. However, IMO, there's enough revenue for the stakeholders and a more-than-decent fan following/viewership to keep the format alive.

As usual I was Rooting for Root to get out so Afghan boys could win the game. They have been my favorite team after our team for a while. Trott was so calm and composed watching the proceedings. A no nonsense Coach who does everything low key while slowly and steadily making Afghan team a force to reckon in white ball cricket.

Aus vs Afghanistan will be like a QF now. Finally CT has become exciting.

Hoping against hope, but I really wish Afg knocks out Aus (banking on SA to beat the haphazard Eng).

That way, India can actually win the CT :P

Everything is tailor made for India to win including the choice of venue. BCCI has done everything possible to make the team win the Champions Trophy, it’s now upto the players.

Exactly why we have an Indian heading the Indian Cricket Council rl:

In other news, seriously good game by Afghanistan yesterday to beat England clap:

Usually, I would have agreed with such a sentiment. However, after the 2023 WC, wherein we were the only team to play at 9 different venues (due to rumoured political expediency), this particular point is no longer tenable. Yes, this time it is an advantage, but how many of those cribbing called it out as a disadvantage during the 2023WC?

I think you are being overly critical. What option, other than playing in Dubai/Sri Lanka, did India or ICC have? What could have BCCI done differently?

Playing at the same venue is not necessarily an advantage- ask England. Played both matches in Lahore. Lost both.

Meh. The English are crybabies and started this theory and you are just lapping it up. India have been exceptional in white ball ICC tournaments. Just look at India's ODI WC record since 2015. We've lost a total of 3 games only out of 26 (that they were SF, SF and F are a different thing). We are the reigning T20 World Champs.

There might be a lot of clout in BCCI but the players are playing just fine. Leave the whining for the English. rl:


Bingo!

Indian team was made to play at the major venues by BCCI only and it is expected that the host team will have to travel through the country since everyone wants the money pie. India being the host nation was playing in their own backyard where they know each venue like the back of their hand. Yes, travelling was there but that’s the norm of a multi nation tournament. If the BCCI wanted, they could have restricted the team to few venues only but then that would have angered the associations. So we all know why the team played at so many venues.

If Pakistan can host every other nation and the security is of no concern for the teams, then why should India be any different ? Travelling Indian Teams over the years have been loved by Pakistan public and its a disgrace that we don’t play often.

If Pakistan can play in India during a World Cup and the ICC and BCCI both, used that match to the hilt for promotion, why can’t India play at Pakistan ? We all know the clout of BCCI in world cricket and hence the chosen venue of Dubai. Heck, even the final has two places, if India reaches the final it is Dubai or else Lahore. Unfair certainly since every other team is travelling but India.

And just to add - England has the massive advantage of playing the Test WTC final at home each year.

But the team has to be good enough to take advantage of the situation and qualify.

"I couldn't see the ball because there was smog", " the other team has no travel", "if only there was Ben Stokes" are all excuses! Buttler has had a bad time as a batter, as a skipper and as a strategist. He is definitely going. The likes of Salt seem to be good enough for T20 format. England needs some serious introspection.

In simple words, the relationship that Pakistan has with all these countries is totally different from the India-Pak relationship. I think it is obvious why the Indian cricket team did not travel to Pakistan.

England have a huge Afghani egg on their face as the much vaunted cult of Bazball failed to score 16 runs in 2 overs in a white ball game! Azmatullah Omarzai is an amazing find.

I really enjoy watching the English lose in an embarrassing fashion, their reaction is very much like the Pakistanis; ex players & media going on whining and sometimes unintentionally funny meltdowns.

Speaking of the Pakistanis, I loved Gill's demolition of Shaheen Afridi a few days ago. Afridi had just produced a beauty of an inswinging Yorker to rattle Sharmaji's stumps and he would have most definitely picked up a couple of more wickets if Gill hadn't taken him on. The highlight shot was a cover drive off a 145 kph outswinger. Gill has been really amazing since being elevated to vice captain.

An extremely talented, but underachieving batter, with an aesthetically pleasing batting style blossoming when given responsibility. We have seen this story before, no?

And yet, despite those different relations, we host Pakistan on our soil and mint money during a World Cup, no less !!

Just hope the pitch curator doesn't mess up like how it happened in Ahmedabad.

India & Pakistan invariably end up in the same group in such multi-nation tournaments like WC! There's no effort made to make it look like everything is fair,unbiased & neutral.

You just mirrored my thoughts .. thank you.

P.S : Ahmedabad was a joke ..even the post match ceremony was pre decided rl: