🏏ICC T20I WC 2024: Semi Final 1 - M53: SA vs AFG @ 6:00 AM IST🏏

🏏ICC T20I WC 2024: Semi Final 1 - M53: South Africa vs Afghanistan at Brian Lara Stadium, Tarouba, Trinidad  on 27/06/2024 @ 6:00 AM IST🏏

Can Afghanistan continue their dream run against unbeaten South Africa?

It remains to be seen if Gurbaz, who hurt his knee against Bangladesh, is fit to play.  Afghanistan look to continue dream run

Afghanistan played their first official fixture in 2004 as part of the Asian Cricket Council Trophy, which featured 15 teams. Twenty years later, they have done the unthinkable by making their first World Cup semi-final in the biggest World Cup featuring 20 teams.

In just 20 years, they have achieved what many teams might take 50 years to do. Afghanistan have always had the raw talent. They've now married it with elite skills and continue to upgrade them, thanks to global T20 exposure.

Their captain and lead spinner, Rashid Khan, is arguably the most sought-after T20 player in the world. Noor Ahmad, their second spinner, is a left-arm version of Rashid while Rahmanullah Gurbaz, their opener, can bruise oppositions in the powerplay. Fazalhaq Farooqi is on his way to becoming the next Trent Boult in T20 cricket while Naveen-ul-Haq has had Dwayne Bravo, Afghanistan's bowling consultant and T20 legend, grooving and celebrating near the boundary with his variations. Eight of Afghanistan's XI that toppled Bangladesh on Monday in Kingstown were part of IPL 2024.

Then, there is Mohammad Nabi, who of course played in Afghanistan's first official fixture back in 2004. In a year in which his son made his Under-19 World Cup debut for Afghanistan, Nabi, 39, will turn up for Afghanistan in their first World Cup semi-final. Nabi has defeated 45 teams in his career and will now look to add South Africa to that list.

Mujeeb Ur Rahman was sidelined from the tournament after playing a solitary game, but Afghanistan, under Bravo's tactical guidance, have still had enough depth to roll over oppositions. No attack has taken more wickets than Afghanistan's 57 in this World Cup and their economy rate of 6.35 is second only to South Africa's 6.10 among the Super-Eight teams.

Afghanistan, however, don't have as much depth in their batting, especially in the middle order. And while Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran have struck up four 50-plus partnerships while batting first, their stands while chasing are eight against PNG, zero against West Indies, and 13 against India.

So, there's a strong case for South Africa to make Afghanistan chase, try to separate their openers early, and put the middle order under pressure. Keshav Maharaj, their left-arm fingerspinner, will look to ace his match-up against a right-hander-heavy Afghanistan line-up on a Tarouba surface that may continue to offer variable bounce. Tabraiz Shamsi, the left-arm wristspinner, could also pose a threat with his variations and knowledge of Caribbean conditions, having spent a number of South African winters in the CPL.

Though Reeza Hendricks is struggling for form at the top, South Africa have a dynamic middle order with all of Aiden Markram, Tristan Stubbs and Heinrich Klaasen capable of countering spin, and a vastly experienced David Miller around to finish the innings.

South Africa have been on the precipice at several points during the World Cup, but they have somehow hauled themselves back to claim seven successive wins across challenging conditions. They need to win two more to secure their maiden World Cup title. No team has ever won a T20 World Cup unbeaten, so South Africa and India have the chance to rewrite history this time.

In the spotlight: Naveen-ul-Haq and Heinrich Klaasen

Afghanistan's spinners need no introduction, so let's talk about Naveen-ul-Haq. The seamer might not have taken the new ball had Mujeeb been available. But in the absence of Afghanistan's powerplay spinner, Naveen has stepped up brilliantly to ease the load on Farooqi. His delivery to dismiss Travis Head - slanting in towards leg stump, then swinging and seaming away late to crash into middle - is a genuine contender for the ball of the tournament. With a number of slower balls in his repertoire, Naveen has also been difficult to get away at the death on the Caribbean pitches.

Heinrich Klaasen vs Rashid and Co could very well dictate the course of the game. His quasi-pulls and slog-sweeps can disrupt the rhythm of any spinner on any surface. Since the start of 2023, he has struck at 182.12 against spin in T20 cricket. His strike rate is the best among 41 batters who have played at least 40 innings against spin in T20 cricket during this period.

When: Afghanistan vs South Africa, June 26, 8.30 PM Local, 6 AM IST (June 27), 2.30 AM (June 27)

Where: Brian Lara Stadium, Tarouba, Trinidad

What to expect: A cool, clear evening. And low scores. Papua New Guinea were bowled out for 95 - by the Afghans - and 78 at this ground, where West Indies' 149/9 was enough to beat New Zealand by 13 runs.

Form guide

Afghanistan WWLLW (last five T20Is, most recent first)

South Africa WWWWW

AFG vs SA: Weather and pitch report

The AFG vs SA match will be played at the The Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba, San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago. The bounce was inconsistent there during the group stage. However, the bounce is expected to improve after two weeks of work on the pitch. Dew has often been a major factor at this venue.

A morning thunderstorm is expected in one or two spots. Variable cloudiness is likely otherwise. While the match will probably be affected by light rain, no heavy downpour will possibly ruin the entire game.

Pitch and conditions: More variable bounce?

The conditions in Tarouba were characterised by variable bounce during the group stage. But Daren Ganga believes that the bounce will be truer on Wednesday after remedial work over the past two weeks. Dew has been often a major factor in the CPL games at this venue.

Stats and trivia: Afghanistan's brittle middle order

• Afghanistan bowlers have dominated the powerplay in this T20 World Cup, taking 20 wickets at an economy rate of 7.19 during this phase. In comparison, South Africa have managed only ten wickets though their economy rate (5.85) is lower than Afghanistan's.
• Afghanistan's middle-order batters (Nos. 4-7) have the lowest strike rate (102.21) among the Super-Eight teams in this World Cup.
• Klaasen has scored 27 runs against Rashid off 21 balls while being dismissed once in T20 cricket. The sample size is slightly bigger for Miller vs Rashid, with the match-up in favour of the wristspinner: 50 runs off 42 balls with four dismissals.
• South Africa and India are the only two Full Members Afghanistan have not beaten in international cricket so far.

Quotes

"For us, it's a new challenge and I think that makes us dangerous in the semi-finals as a side with nothing to lose and obviously a lot of pressure on the opposition."

Afghanistan coach Jonathan Trott

"Definitely, it's always great to dream and I think everyone in South Africa dreams of the time when a trophy gets lifted."

South Africa coach Rob Walter

One word. Four syllables. Starts with A. It's the name of your opponents in the 2024 men's T20 World Cup semifinals. Had those clues been given to South Africa's players before the tournament, their answer would in all likelihood have been that other team whose name starts with an A.

You know - those guys who have limped home among the 16 also-rans who tried and failed to reach the knockout rounds. That's right: Australia. Instead, Afghanistan will be South Africa's opponents in Trinidad on Thursday and they will be taken just as seriously as any bunch of Aussies. That's what beating New Zealand, Australia and Bangladesh in the space of 18 days gets you: respect.

Along the way the Afghans were thumped by West Indies and India, while South Africa have won all seven of their matches. But Afghanistan are surfing the World Cup wave so impressively - and that as a side from a landlocked country, no less - and South Africa's history in knockout games - played nine, won one - is so skewed that it would not be outlandish to make Rashid Khan's A-team favourites.

Indeed, in Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran they have two of the top five runscorers in the tournament, while Fazalhaq Farooqi, Rashid and Naveen-ul-Haq are among the leading five wicket-takers. South Africa's top batter, Quinton de Kock, is sixth on the list and their most successful bowler, Anrich Nortje, is joint eighth.

The difference between these South Africans and those who have been to the semifinal rodeo before is that they wouldn't struggle to agree with the assertion that Afghanistan go into the match holding the upper hand. Because Aiden Markram's charges are also riding a wave. Its one-word name also has four syllables but starts with R. As in reality.

Here's a flavour, courtesy of Rob Walter when he was asked during a press conference on Monday if he felt sorry for batters considering the conditions they have had to put up with for much of the tournament: "The world of professional sports doesn't allow for much sympathy, but it does allow for understanding."

Afghanistan, too, are living in the real world. That was clear from Rashid Khan's answer to the question of when he thought the victory over Bangladesh in St Vincent in the wee hours of Tuesday morning had been secured: "The only time I believed we had won the game was when we took the last wicket."

Out there in the really real world, many will hope for a sign or at least an acknowledgement from the Afghans that they represent the women and girls of their country - who are barred by the repressive Taliban regime from so much that is available to men, including playing cricket. Until 1994, South Africa's teams also flew the flag of a society ruled by unfairness and fear.

The issue then was apartheid. Now it is gender apartheid. Then as now, cricket - and cricketers - cannot be allowed to look the other way.

Team Watch:

Afghanistan

This isn't a cricket team. It's a movement, and its time is now.

Tactics & Matchups: In Rashid Khan, closer to a one-man XI than an allrounder and captain, Afghanistan trust.

Probable XI: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Azmatullah Omarzai, Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Nabi, Karim Janat, Rashid Khan (c), Nangeyalia Kharoti, Noor Ahmad, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi

South Africa

So far so shaky, and so unbeaten. They have sailed close to defeat in almost every game, and won them all.

Tactics & Matchups: It's a seamer's pitch, but Tabraiz Shamsi could be counted on to bamboozle batters.

Probable XI: Quinton de Kock, Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markram (capt), Tristan Stubbs, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Tabraiz Shamsi

Head to head in T20 World Cups: Afghanistan 0-2 South Africa

HEAD TO HEAD  LAST 2 MATCHES

South Africa won by 37 runs, 20-Mar-2016

South Africa won by 59 runs, 06-May-2010