World Cup 2023: Afghanistan face virtually impossible task vs South Africa to enter semi-finals

South Africa will look to fix their chasing troubles before the semi-finals while Afghanistan will back themselves to beat another top team when the two sides meet in a World Cup game in Ahmedabad on Friday.

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South Africa had already confirmed their place in the semi-finals after their dominant victory over New Zealand in Pune, and will hope to regain the confidence that had been shattered by a 243-run defeat against hosts India ahead of the knockouts.

Afghanistan had been among the three teams in contention for the fourth semi-final spot, but now face a virtually impossible task of reaching the World Cup knockouts for the first time ever following New Zealand’s five-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in Bengaluru.

The Black Caps chased the 172-run target set by the Sri Lankans inside 24 overs to give their Net Run Rate a massive boost and virtually confirm a semi-final clash against hosts India in Mumbai next week.

The Afghans, who had won just one match across the 2015 and 2019 World Cups but won four in eight matches in this edition, will need to defeat South Africa by a whopping 438-run margin on Friday.

Irrespective of the result on Friday, Afghanistan have earned tremendous respect with their mature play in the tournament.

They now have the belief to beat the best in the business on any given day. After humbling England and Pakistan, the Hasmatullah Shahidi-led side was on the cusp of a famous win over five-time champions Australia before Glenn Maxwell came up with a superhuman knock.

The improbable defeat left Afghans heartbroken and they now need to pick themselves up to end their campaign on a high even if the prospect of finishing in the top four appears well out of reach.

Batting first, South Africa have been the best batting unit in the tournament. Therefore, Shahidi will be hoping to win the toss, put runs on the board and choke South Africa in their chase.

South Africa’s flamboyance has made way for tentativeness while chasing in the competition. Afghanistan’s match-winning spinners will back themselves to exploit that apparent weakness.

Spin has been the team’s strength over the years but now it can also expect breakthroughs from the pacers. With a little help on offer, Naveen Ul Haq and all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai delivered with the new ball against Australia to rattle the opposition.

Afghanistan batting, which has been its weak link, has come of age in the tournament. Batters like Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah and captain Shahidi himself know how to play the situations, while batting first or chasing.

The team, however, expects more from opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who has not been consistent enough, and veteran Mohammd Nabi, who has not yet made an impact with the bat.

Pressure mounting on Temba Bavuma

While Quinton de Kock has piled on the runs in his swansong, South Africa skipper Temba Bavuma has not led from the front at the top of the order. Bavuma missed two games due to illness and Reeza Hendricks grabbed his opportunity with both hands.

Dropping the skipper in the middle of the tournament is highly unlikely but Bavuma must be feeling the pressure. Before the semi-finals, the Afghanistan game is an ideal opportunity for him to get back amongst the runs.

David Miller is among the top finishers in the game but is yet to peak in the World Cup. The southpaw will be looking to get into the groove before the knock-out stage.

Left-arm pacer Marco Jansen has been a valuable addition to the side but needs to improve on his economy rate. Left-spinner Keshav Maharaj has been their go to bowl in the middle overs. It remains to be seen if the Proteas go in with the extra spin option of Tabraiz Shamsi, who is often guilty of bowling pressure releasing balls in the middle of a testing spell.

South Africa vs Afghanistan World Cup 2023 match date

The South Africa vs Afghanistan Cricket World Cup match will be played on Friday, 10 November.

South Africa vs Afghanistan World Cup 2023 match time

The South Africa vs Afghanistan Cricket World Cup match will start at 2 PM IST. The toss will take place at 1.30 PM IST.

South Africa vs Afghanistan World Cup 2023 match venue

The South Africa vs Afghanistan Cricket World Cup match will be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.

South Africa vs Afghanistan World Cup 2023 match LIVE Streaming

The South Africa vs Afghanistan Cricket World Cup match will be broadcast live on Star Sports Network and live streaming will be available on Disney+ Hotstar.

South Africa vs Afghanistan head-to-head

The only meeting between these two teams took place in Cardiff during the 2019 World Cup, which the Proteas won by nine wickets after bowling the Afghan Atalan out for 125.

Squads:

Afghanistan: Hashmatullah Shahidi (captain), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Riaz Hassan, Rahmat Shah, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Ikram Alikhil, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Abdul Rahman, Naveen ul Haq.

South Africa: Temba Bavuma (captain), Gerald Coetzee, Quinton de Kock, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Andile Phehlukwayo, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Rassie van der Dussen, Lizaad Williams.

With inputs from PTI