KARACHI KIDS: Afganistan voel sterk ahead of Proteas opener

AFGHANISTAN reckon they have the upper hand over the Proteas heading into their Champions Trophy opener at the National Stadium in Karachi at 11am on Friday.

Not only will they bank on being more used to playing on subcontinent wickets, but captain Hashmatullah Shahidi and his teammates feel they have the wind in their sails after downing South Africa 2-1 in last September’s series between the two in Sharjah.

Drawn in a group of death alongside England and Australia with just two teams advancing to the next round, neither team can afford to lose on Friday.

Asked about beating the Proteas twice in five outings since 2019, Shahidi says: “Between 2019 and now there’s too much difference.

“And just recently we beat them in Sharjah 2-1, so we have that confidence with us and we are not under pressure anyway, because right now we are focusing what we can do in this tournament.

“I believe that our team is more ready for this tournament and we are focusing on our own team. There is no pressure on us.”

Proteas counterpart Temba Bavuma, meanwhile, says: “We’ve also had a good look at them...

“I guess we kind of know what to expect.

“So, you know, in terms of our preparation, we’ve ticked the boxes that we feel that we need to tick [ahead of the match].

“But I think most importantly, we’ll have to come out and bring out our A-game.”