Image Credit- ICC
Afghanistan participated in the Asian Cricket Council Trophy in 2004 and faced 15 teams in their first official match. Twenty years later, in the largest World Cup with 20 nations, they had accomplished the unimaginable by reaching their first World Cup semifinal.
They have accomplished in 20 years what many teams could take 50. Afghanistan has long possessed undeveloped talent. Because of the worldwide exposure from T20, they have now combined it with elite skills and are still improving them.
Rashid Khan, their captain and principal spinner, is possibly the most sought-after T20 player worldwide. Rahmanullah Gurbaz, their opener, can bruise opponents in the powerplay, while Noor Ahmad, their second spinner, is a left-arm Rashid. With his variations, Naveen-ul-Haq has had Afghanistan’s bowling mentor and T20 legend Dwayne Bravo grooving and celebrating near the boundary. Fazalhaq Farooqi is on his way to become the next Trent Boult in T20 cricket. Eight members of Afghanistan’s XI from the IPL 2024 were involved in Monday’s victory over Bangladesh in Kingstown.
Next is Mohammad Nabi, who participated in Afghanistan’s inaugural official match in 2004. Nabi, 39, will play for Afghanistan in their first World Cup semi-final in a year that saw his son make his debut for the country in the Under-19 World Cup. Nabi will now want to add South Africa to his tally of victories, which now includes 45 teams.
After participating in a single game, Mujeeb Ur Rahman was eliminated from the competition; nonetheless, Afghanistan, led tactically by Bravo, still have sufficient depth to easily defeat opponents. Afghanistan’s 57 wickets in the World Cup are the most of any attack, and among the Super-Eight nations, their economy rate of 6.35 is second only to South Africa’s 6.10.
Afghanistan’s hitting, particularly in the middle order, lacks depth, nevertheless. Additionally, although Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran have formed four partnerships of fifty or more when batting first, they have only eight stands when pursuing against PNG, zero against the West Indies, and thirteen against India.
Thus, there’s a compelling argument for South Africa to force Afghanistan to chase, attempt to split their openers early, and exert pressure on the middle order. Their left-arm fingerspinner, Keshav Maharaj, will try to dominate his matchup against an Afghanistan lineup that is heavy on right-handers on a Tarouba surface that might still give erratic bounce. The left-arm wristspinner Tabraiz Shamsi may also be a threat because of his versatility and familiarity with Caribbean conditions.
Despite Reeza Hendricks’s struggles at the top, South Africa has a strong middle order that includes the spin-countering talents of Aiden Markram, Tristan Stubbs, and Heinrich Klaasen, as well as the hugely experienced David Miller to close off the innings.
Throughout the World Cup, South Africa has been close to failure on multiple occasions, but they have managed to rally for seven straight victories in difficult circumstances. To win their first World Cup, they must win two more. South Africa and India have the opportunity to write history this time around because no team has ever won a T20 World Cup without losing.