A historic first appearance in a Men’s World Cup final is on the line as South Africa faces Afghanistan in the first semifinal of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.
Afghanistan’s journey to the semi-finals is a testament to their rise in T20 cricket, having knocked out high-ranked teams like New Zealand and Australia. South Africa, unbeaten so far, hopes to break their semifinal jinx, having lost all seven previous attempts in men’s World Cups.
Match Details
- Teams: South Africa vs Afghanistan
- Date: Wednesday, June 26
- Time: 8:30 PM local
- Venue: Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Tarouba, Trinidad and Tobago
Venue
The Brian Lara Cricket Academy, with a capacity of 15,000, is hosting its fifth and final match of the tournament. The highest total here has been 149/9 by the West Indies against New Zealand.
How They Got Here
South Africa:
- Undefeated in the tournament but faced close calls against the Netherlands, Bangladesh, and Nepal.
- Had tense matches against England and West Indies, ultimately coming out on top.
Afghanistan:
- Key victory over Australia in the Super Eights.
- Progressed from a tough initial group, defeating New Zealand.
- Overcame a loss to India and beat Bangladesh to secure their semifinal spot.
Squads
South Africa: Aiden Markram (c), Ottniel Baartman, Gerald Coetzee, Quinton de Kock, Bjorn Fortuin, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, David Miller, Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs.
Afghanistan: Rashid Khan (c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Azmatullah Omarzai, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Ishaq, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Karim Janat, Nangyal Kharoti, Hazratullah Zazai, Noor Ahmad, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Fareed Ahmad Malik.
Team Selections
South Africa:
- Decision to either continue with spinner Tabraiz Shamsi or bring back pacer Ottniel Baartman.
Afghanistan:
- Might include Hazratullah Zazai again, possibly batting at No. 3 to keep the opening partnership stable.
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