Dubai: The Champions Trophy begins Wednesday with the eight best world teams in competition in Pakistan and Dubai for the prestigious title.
AFP The sport examines three long -awaited games in the group’s group phase 50:
Australia against England
The Ashes compete on the conflict in Lahore on Saturday.
Holders of the Australian World Cup had the upper hand against their former enemies in 50 recent matches and won their previous 3-2 series last year.
But the two enter the champions trophy with question points that hang them.
Australia is without their “Big Three” Pacemen – Pat Cummins (Ankle), Josh Hazlewood (Hip) and Mitchell Starc, who opted for personal reasons.
Add the absences of the versatile Mitchell Marsh (rear) and Marcus Stoinis (retired), and half of their regular team is missing.
The exhausted team underwent a heavy defeat of the 2-0 series in Sri Lanka on the eve of the tournament.
England, with the test coach, Brendon McCullum, is now in charge, has done better and was bleached 3-0 in India.
Since he won the 2019 World Cup and the T20 World Cup in 2022, England had struggled in white ball cricket.
India against Pakistan
TV Roting Rocket with millions of people attentive to look at the arc rivals each time they fight, due to the deep rivalry between the nuclear arms.
The two teams meet on Sunday in Dubai.
Tickets for the confrontation were sold for a few minutes after being put up for sale while more than 150,000 fans were laid online to take place in the 25,000 inhabitants stadium.
India refused to visit Pakistan for the Champions Trophy, forcing the latter to accept to partially renounce the accommodation rights in Dubai after a long dead end.
On the field, India is the favor to win the tournament for the third time, in what should be the international swandline for Rohit Sharma.
Pakistan is the holders and unpredictable.
Afghanistan against England
More than 160 British politicians called for England to boycott the match in Lahore on February 26 for the erosion of women’s rights by Taliban authorities in Afghanistan.
The skipper Jos Buttler rejected the idea saying, “I don’t think a boycott is the way of doing it.”
Unless a last -minute shock, the game will take place.
After being well beaten in India last week, Buttleler insisted that England can be “dangerous” to the champions trophy, even if recent evidence suggest the opposite.
Afghanistan has become an increasing force in white ball cricket in recent years, reaching eighth rank in the world ranking of the ODI, a place below England.
The Afghans beat Australia on the way to a historic semi-final at the T20 World Cup from last year, before losing against South Africa.
