KARACHI, Pakistan — Ahead of Afghanistan’s inaugural match in the Champions Trophy, team captain Hashmatullah Shahidi has rejected calls from politicians to boycott the team’s games. Politicians from both England and South Africa have been vocal in urging their cricket authorities to forfeit group matches against Afghanistan, citing the Taliban’s imposition of restrictions on women’s sports and the broader decline of women’s rights in the country.

South Africa’s Sports Minister, Gayton McKenzie, indicated that if he had the final say, the South Africa versus Afghanistan match would not take place. Nonetheless, the match is planned to occur as scheduled on Friday in Karachi, followed by an encounter against England in Lahore the following Wednesday.

Shahidi remarked on Thursday, “As a sportsman, our job is to play cricket, and we don’t care what’s going on outside of the cricket.” He emphasized that their focus lies on the game, asserting, “We only control things inside the ground, so that’s our job and other things cannot put us under pressure.”

Afghanistan’s final group match is slated against Australia on February 28 in Lahore, and the team’s recent performance in significant tournaments brings a sense of optimism for potential surprises. The squad notably triumphed over England and Pakistan during the 50-over World Cup in India in 2023 and advanced to the semifinals of the 20-over World Cup in 2024 after defeating Australia and New Zealand. Recently, Afghanistan has also secured victories in its last four one-day international series, including a win against South Africa in September.

“We are definitely 100% looking to win this event because we’ve played a lot of quality cricket for the last two years,” Shahidi asserted. He expressed confidence in his team’s experience and adaptability to the conditions, hoping to initiate the tournament with strong momentum.

Furthermore, Shahidi expressed his desire for significant support from local fans at the recently renovated National Bank Stadium in Karachi. “A lot of Afghans live here, and last time in the Asia Cup, we saw some Afghan fans coming here. I know that a lot of Pashtuns also live here in Pakistan, and hopefully, the stadium will be full.”