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KARACHI: Afghanistan skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi on Thursday said calls from other nations for a boycott of their matches because of the treatment of women by the ruling Taliban did not effect his team.

Afghanistan open their Group B campaign in the Champions Trophy against South Africa in Karachi on Friday.

Last month South Africa Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie backed demands from British politicians for a playing boycott of Afghanistan.

The England and Wales Cricket Board resisted the demand to boycott their Champions Trophy group game, but said they would not host Afghanistan in a bilateral series.

Australia, also in Group B, have canceled a Twenty20 international series and a Test against Afghanistan in the last two years, but plan to play their trophy game.

Shahidi said he was unperturbed.

“We only control things inside the ground, that’s our job,” Shahidi said in a press conference in Karachi on Thursday. “The other things cannot put us under pressure.”

Afghanistan face England in Lahore on February 26 and Australia at the same venue two days later.

“The whole world knows that we are playing well, especially in the last three years so we are focused on our play and here also we do the control things,” Shahidi said.

Having learnt most of their cricket in the refugee camps in Pakistan during the Soviet invasion of their country in 1970s, the Afghanistan team have risen by leaps and bounds.

They shocked three former champions — England, Pakistan and Sri Lanka — at the 2023 one-day World Cup in India. They were the losing semifinalists in the Twenty20 World Cup last year, held in the United States and the West Indies.

Shahidi said his team was not overawed by South Africa.

“We have recently beaten South Africa in Sharjah so we have that confidence with us and we are not under any pressure,” said Shahidi of his team’s 2-1 win last year.

Afghanistan skipper vowed his team wants to win the Trophy.

“We are doing very good so we are here to win the final and not just to participate. We are definitely hundred percent looking to win this event.”

Afghanistan boast quality spinners with Rashid Khan, ranked second in the world in one-day internationals, leading the attack.

They also have hard hitting batters in Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran and Mohammad Nabi.

The Champions Trophy — the first global event hosted by Pakistan in three decades — opened on Wednesday with New Zealand beating the host country by 60 runs in Group A.

India and Bangladesh are the other two teams in the Group. Top-two teams from each Group will qualify for the semifinals.

KARACHI: Pakistan’s 29-year wait to host an International Cricket Council ended in disappointment when New Zealand handed the hosts a comprehensive 60-run defeat at Karachi's National Bank Stadium.

The ICC Champions Trophy opener, which began with such promise for Pakistan after they won the toss and opted to field, quickly unraveled.

The day’s first turning point came just two balls into the match when Fakhar Zaman injured himself during a chase to the boundary. This would have far-reaching consequences for Pakistan later.

Understandably, both teams started tentatively before Pakistan reduced New Zealand to 73 for three. This was Pakistan’s moment to grab the game, but a lack of frontline spin options to support Abrar began to tell as Will Young and Tom Latham built a match-defining partnership.

Young, who always seems to be on the edge of the team and might not have played had Rachin Ravindra been fit, crafted a brilliant 107 off 113 balls. He got through testing spells from Naseem Shah and the mystery spin of Abrar early in his innings to provide the perfect platform for an assault in the last 10 overs.

Latham looked assured from the first ball he received and got the correct balance between the need to rebuild the innings and being positive. He ended the innings unbeaten with 118 off 104 balls, in which he used the sweep shot to good effect. Fifty-two of his runs came square or behind square on the leg side.

The final flourish came from Glenn Phillips, who at one stage was 10 off 18 balls before reaching his 50 off the next 16 deliveries. His explosive 61 off 39 balls, including consecutive sixes off Shaheen Shah Afridi, helped New Zealand plunder 113 runs in the final 10 overs. Pakistan’s bowling, usually their strength, struggled to achieve control. Naseem Shah with 2 for 63 was the most economical, but Shaheen, no wicket for 68 and Haris Rauf, 2 for 83, had days to forget.

Pakistan’s chase was compromised before it began. Fakhar’s injury-enforced absence from the opening position led to a makeshift solution in Saud Shakeel, who fell early to Will O’Rourke for six. When Fakhar eventually batted at number four, he was visibly hampered, managing just 24 off 41 balls before falling to Michael Bracewell.

The story of Pakistan’s innings was one of no intent or game awareness. Babar Azam’s 64 came at a pace that hurt rather than helped, taking 81 balls to reach his fifty. The spinners, particularly Mitchell Santner, with 3 for 66 and Bracewell, dominated the middle overs on a pitch offering turn and variable bounce.

Salman Ali Agha tried to throw a few punches with smart, low-risk options for his 42 off 28 balls before Khushdil Shah showed real intent, his 69 off 49 balls providing some late entertainment before Pakistan were bowled out for 260.

The defeat puts Pakistan in a precarious position in a format that offers little margin for error. With just three group matches per team, they now face a must-win situation as they head to Dubai for their encounter with India on Feb. 23.

The prospect of an early exit from a tournament they are co-hosting looms large — a scenario that would be particularly bitter given the 29-year wait to bring ICC events back to Pakistani soil. The pressure will be immense in Dubai, where anything less than victory will see the team all but eliminated from their home tournament after only two matches. The passionate Karachi crowd which witnessed the setback against New Zealand will hope their team can summon the resilience that has become their trademark in recent years.

New Zealand’s victory, achieved despite missing key players such as Lockie Ferguson and Rachin Ravindra, sets them up perfectly in a tournament where fast starts are crucial. They will face India and Bangladesh in their other group matches.