The beginning of the end of the T20 World Cup 2024 sees Afghanistan taking on South Africa tomorrow at 6 AM, followed by India facing England at 8 PM.
Afghanistan is coming off a great victory against Australia and a close match against Bangladesh, but they have finally made it through to the semi-finals. Regarding South Africa, they have a reputation for faltering under pressure, often losing crucial matches at the last moment.
Cricket Match Preview –
The Brian Lara Stadium in Trinidad has a natural wicket with an average score of 150. Pacers have taken 38 wickets here, compared to 13 wickets for spinners, in last 4 matches. In the second inning, spinners might benefit from the wicket. Therefore, Keshav Maharaj and Noor Ahmed could be key players.
The toss winner is expected to choose to bat. If Afghanistan bats first, they might score between 140 to 150 runs, judging by the current form of their batsmen.
Playing 11 – Most likely, both teams will have the same playing eleven. However, if South Africa chooses to field first, they might consider replacing Ottneil Baartman or Hendricks, who are out of form, with Rickelton.
Afghanistan might replace Nangeyalia Kharote with Najibullah Zadran, who could play a crucial role as a finisher.
Afghanistan Playing Probable 11 – R Gurbaz, I Zadran, A Omarzai, G Naib, M Nabi, , N Zadran, K Janat, R Khan (C) , N Ahmad, N Ul Haq, F Haq.
South Africa Playing Probable 11 – Q De Kock (WK) , R Hendricks, A Markram ( C ) , H Klassen, T Stubbs, D Miller, M Jansen, K Maharaj, K Rabada, A Nortje, T Shamsi,/O Baartman.
Venue: Brian Lara Stadium, Trinidad
Head to Head – 2 Match -2 Won SA AFG – 0
Match analysis – Afghanistan’s batting strength lies in their openers, particularly Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who has scored 281 runs in this World Cup. To contain his impact, South Africa should target Gurbaz with left-arm pacers like Marco Jansen, as he strikes at a slower rate (127.4) against them, compared to his faster strike rate (161.8) against right-arm bowlers.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Hazratullah Zazai are among the top five run-scorers in the tournament. Farid Malik, Rashid Khan, and Naveen-ul-Haq lead as the top five wicket-takers.
Quinton de Kock ranks sixth among batsmen for South Africa in this World Cup, while Anrich Nortje has been the most successful bowler. In this World Cup, South Africa has maintained their usual standards. H Klassen, A Markram need to pull their socks to get the ticket for Final. However, in the semi-final, they need to stick to their normal game plan.
Prediction: Anrich Nortje and Keshav Maharaj are expected to take 2 wickets each, while Hazratullah Zazai may play a magical innings. South Africa has the highest chances of making it to the final.
Will Afghanistan’s all-rounders, Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Nabi, and Rashid Khan, guide their team to Barbados, or will South Africa already have their sights set on capturing Bridgetown? We’ll find out soon enough.
Match Time-Match starts at 6 AM IST on June 27, Thursday, which translates to an 8:30 PM start in Trinidad and Tobago, accounting for a 9-hour 30-minute time difference.
Weather Report – the chance of rain is very low, less than ten percent according to weather.com. However, humidity is expected to be high, starting at 82 percent and increasing to 86 percent as the match goes on.
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