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.
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.
Head to head in T20 World Cups: Afghanistan 0-2 South Africa
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
Did you know?
– Of the 51 wickets taken by bowlers at this ground during the tournament 41 – 80.39% – have fallen to seam bowlers.
– Of the 67 individual innings begun at Tarouba during the tournament only one has reached 50. Gulbadin Naib was 49 not out when Afghanistan clinched victory over Papua New Guinea.
– Thirteen of those 67 innings have resulted in ducks: a quacking 19.40%.
What they said:
“I think we deserve to be in the semis.” – Rashid Khan feels the same way as everyone else who has watched his team in the tournament.
“You don’t not have confidence if you manage to win games the way that we have. And then there’s certain parts of the game that we know we need to brush up and tighten up on. We’re working through that continuum the whole time and being real about the things that we need to do better, being real about where we are in certain aspects of our game, and celebrating the stuff that we’ve been getting right.” – Rob Walter on the new South Africa.
