Afghanistan eye England 'scare' at SCG
Afghanistan believe they've still "got a scare" left in them ahead of their World Cup finale against England in Sydney on Friday.
Remarkably, both sides will go into the match with exactly the same number of points after enjoying a win apiece over Scotland, like Afghanistan a non-Test side.
While Afghanistan's one-wicket defeat of Scotland was the latest chapter in a remarkable rise that has taken them from the lowest rung of international cricket to the game's showpiece tournament in barely seven years, for England victory over their neighbours couldn't salvage another wretched World Cup.
Australia (111 runs), New Zealand (eight wickets) and Sri Lanka (nine wickets) all inflicted thumping Pool A defeats upon Eoin Morgan's team, while Monday saw Bangladesh display greater nerve and skill in a winner-takes-all clash for a quarter-final place with a 15-run victory in Adelaide.
Now Afghanistan coach Andy Moles wants his free-spirited side, featuring pacemen Hamid Hassan and Shapoor Zadran, as well as several hard-hitting batsmen, to pile on the agony.
"They (England) are not in the best of nick at the moment and we still believe that, if at the top of the order with the bat especially, we just need to show a bit more composure, we've still got a scare in us," said Moles.
"If we can play well and hold our nerve on Friday, and we need to be at our very, very best and we need England not to be at their best, we can get a shock," the former Warwickshire batsman added.
England looked anxious during a run-chase that ended with them all out for 260 trying to overhaul Bangladesh's 275 for seven.
By contrast, Moles said his players' unrestrained approach held the key to an upset.
"I think it's just the freedom of play. It's one thing I've tried to allow to happen and enhance.. they must play the Afghan way."
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Afghanistan eye England 'scare' at SCG