Champions Trophy 2025: Why England's All Rounder Brydon Carse is Not Playing Afghanistan vs England Match 8?

On Wednesday, February 26, Afghanistan will play England in Match 8 of the Champions Trophy 2025 at the renovated Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. Both clubs had little room for mistake after suffering crushing losses in their first games. Afghanistan's bowlers struggled and let up 315/6 in a difficult defeat against South Africa. They were hustled out for 208 after a poor chase in which Rahmat Shah's 90 was their only real attempt.

England's chances of winning the Champions Trophy have been severely damaged. Due to a toe injury, right-arm fast Brydon Carse will miss the remainder of the competition. Spinner Rehan Ahmed will take his place. Carse's exclusion from the competition was confirmed by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), who issued the following statement: "Durham and England bowling all-rounder Brydon Carse has been ruled out for the remainder of the ICC Men's Champions Trophy due to a left toe injury."

Brydon Carse Sidelined in CT 2025:

Thanks to Ben Duckett's outstanding 165, England defeated Australia 351/8. However, their bowlers were ineffective, and Australia easily chased it down. During the 2023 ODI World Cup in India, the Afghan team astonished the Three Lions. England has a small advantage due to Lahore's flat surface and possible dew effect, but another upset might be in the works if Afghanistan's spinners fire. 

Meanwhile, Carse suffered the injury on Saturday in Lahore during England's Champions Trophy opening Group B match against fierce rival Australia. Due to a toe injury, Carse was unable to participate in Monday's England training session. Despite having trouble finding his rhythm, he was deemed fit for England's opening match against Australia in the tournament. With an economy rate of 9.85, while Australia chased down a record-breaking 352-run mark, Carse was the most costly bowler on the field.

AFG vs ENG Playing XIs:

Afghanistan: Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (w), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, and Hashmatullah Shahidi (c)

England: Liam Livingstone, Jofra Archer, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood, Ben Duckett, Jamie Smith (w), Joe Root, Harry Brook, and Jos Buttler (c)

Watch this space for more cricket news.