Afghanistan will be semi-finalist, says Shah

Mohammad Abdullah, Senior Sports Reporter

Former England batsmen Owais Shah played down the chances of Brendon McCullum’s men winning the Champions Trophy, which will be held in the UAE and Pakistan.

Shah plied his trade for England in six Test matches and 71 ODIs. Nothing short of talent, Shah’s career was curtailed due to injuries and his hard luck.

He happened to play for England in the era when the team was inundated with the star batsmen like Micheal Vaughan, Nasir Hussian, Micheal Atherton and Marcus Trescothick to name a few.

Shah, who also served as coaching consultant of the UAE, will be seen in the role of a commentator during the tournament where he will share his views and invaluable experience as a player along with the others on a star-studded panel, which will also witness India’s little master Sunil Gavaskar, chipping in as a guest commentator.

“Speaking realistically, I don’t reckon England as the title contenders for the Champions Trophy. They have only 60 per cent chances of winning the tournament in these conditions in the presence of teams like India and Pakistan.

“Conditions in the UAE are not feasible for a team like England. Because, spinners are likely to play a major role here. The pitches generally support spinners and the ball does not come on to the bats easily.

“England are used to playing on the fast pitches. If we see, India named a spin-heavy squad, knowing the conditions here,” said Shah on the sidelines of a press conference held to announce the elite panel of the radio commentators for the Champions Trophy.

As the UAE Audio Rights Holder for the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025, Channel 2 Group Corporation, in collaboration with FunAsia Network (BIG 106.2 & Talk 100.3), will bring live, ball-by-ball coverage of the exciting 15-match tournament.

“We are thrilled to join forces with FunAsia Network to bring the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 to our viewers and listeners,” said Ajay Sethi, Chairman of Channel 2 Group Corporation.

Meanwhile, India clean-swept England in the ODI series 3-0, beating them in the final match by a whopping 142 runs on Wednesday followed by 3-1 mauling in the preceding T20 series. The ODI series was billed as a preparation for the upcoming Champions Trophy.

Champions Trophy will be played in the hybrid model because of India’s refusal to travel to Pakistan. India will play all their matches in the UAE, including the blockbuster against arch-rivals Pakistan on Feb.23.

Owing to a political tension between the two countries, India refused to go to Pakistan, citing the security as the reason. Last India travelled to Pakistan was in 2006 while Pakistan visited India recently in the 2023 World Cup.

UAE has emerged as the favourite venue for hosting the flagship sporting events since the outbreak of Covid 19. A number of the premier events like ICC T20 World Cup, Asia Cup, MMA fights and BWF Badminton Championship was held in the UAE on a short notice.

Shah also reckoned Afghanistan as a potential semi-finalist. He predicted that Afghanistan will be a surprise package in the tournament.

“I think Afghanistan can cause big upsets. They are one of the top contenders for a semi-final spot. In these conditions, they can be a very dangerous side.

“The way they played in the 2023 World Cup in India and made it to the semi-finals, they should not be considered as a surprise package but an overwhelming favourite.

“They have a very strong spin attack led by star spinner Rashid Khan. Mohammad Nabi, Noor Mohammad and Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar. Afghanistan players are playing a lot of franchise cricket, which has given them a lot of exposure,” stressed Shah.

In the recently-concluded DP World ILT20, Afghanistan players shone brightly and left an indelible impression on the league.

Fazalhaq Farooqi emerged as the top wicket-taking bowler whereas Gulbadin Naib impressed with his batting prowess, scoring three fifties. He played a pivotal role in steering Dubai Capitals to winning their maiden title.