Hashmatullah Shahidi EXPLODES at presser over 'Glenn Maxwell' question ahead of AFG vs AUS clash

Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi is usually a calm person who likes to have things under control on the field. However, Shahidi got angry at a journalist who asked him a question related to Glenn Maxwell.

Maxwell played one of the greatest innings of all time in the 2023 ODI World Cup against Afghanistan to help Australia seal a stunning win. It was a match that had gone out of Australia's grasp a long ago but Maxwell played a blinder at Wankhede Stadium.

Afghanistan will play a must-win game against Australia at Lahore which will determine the semi-finalist from Group B. It is expected to be a cracker of a contest and it remains likely to be seen how Afghanistan tackled Glenn Maxwell this time around.

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Hashmatullah Shahidi gets angry at journalist

During a press conference ahead of Afghanistan's match against Australia in Lahore, a journalist asked Hashmatullah Shahidi about his team's plans to tackle Glenn Maxwell. Shahidi wasn't impressed with the question and claimed that he has plans for the entire Australian team.

"You think we will come only to play with (Glenn) Maxwell? Do you think it will be like that? We have planned for the entire Australian team, and I know that he (Maxwell) played really well in the 2023 World Cup, but that’s part of history," Shahidi said.

Hashmatullah Shahidi also reminded everyone of Afghanistan's memorable win over Australia in the T20 World Cup 2024 which helped them qualify for the semi-finals. He emphasized on focusing on the whole team instead of just a single player.

“After that, we beat them in T20 World Cup, and we think about all (the entire) opposition team. We are not coming to the ground with plan for individual players. We will try our best to come with the planning, and we are not playing only Maxwell – we are playing Australia," he added.

Hashmatullah Shahidi focuses on the basics

While speaking about the match, Hashmatullah Shahidi mentioned that his team is trying to focus on doing the basics right and keeping things simple without thinking too much about the semi-final matches.

“I think it will be a good game for cricket, and our focus will be to keep things simple and don’t worry much about playing semi-final. We will try to do our basics well," Shahidi said.

Afghanistan have been playing brilliant cricket over the last few years and have made a rapid growth in the world of cricket. Their performances have constantly evolved with every ICC tournament and it is visible through their results.

When will the AFG vs AUS match be played?

Afghanistan will play Australia on February 28 in Lahore. It is a must-win game for both teams. Afghanistan will secure a qualification if they manage to win this game.

On the other hand, Australia will be looking to secure a semi-final spot with a victory here. If Australia lose, they will have to rely on the other results to secure further qualification.

Australia defeated England in their first match of the tournament. Their second match against South Africa was washed out due to rain. Meanwhile, Afghanistan lost to South Africa in their first match but made a strong comeback with a thrilling win over England.