Afghanistan don’t see themselves as underdogs anymore, and it is high time the world accepts them for who they are: brilliant yet astonishingly underrated. They are not just a team that pops into relevance only when discussions about their boycott surface. And with every tournament, they are further debunking the narrative and proving they deserve to be among the best. Their recent performances speak volumes about the kind of team they have become. They defeated Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and England in the ODI World Cup in India and reached the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup last year. Now placed in Group B in this tournament alongside Australia, England, and South Africa, they are no longer minnows but worthy contenders. In fact, one could reasonably argue that their chances of making the semi-finals are just as strong as any other team in their group.
South Africa, in contrast, enter the tournament in an iffy form. It has been six one-day games since they last tasted victory, which too came against Ireland. Their track record in ICC events would not boost their morale either. Time and again, they have come tantalizingly close to winning the entire thing, only to fall short in the end. Can they finally get rid of their tournament woes in the Champions Trophy? Perhaps, but if they desire to do so, they will need to start their campaign with a victory to keep the fate in their hands.
Team Overview:
Afghanistan have plenty of bowlers disguised as all-rounders on their team. Nearly everyone on the team can bat as well as the ball. This allows Hashmatullah Shahidi to be flexible in his choices without worrying about cutting back. Bowling has always been their strongest suit. You can not name the best bowlers on the planet, without including at least one from Afghanistan. But more recently, it’s their batters who have been vying for attention. Their openers, especially, have made sure to provide the team with solid starts each time. And with Ibrahim Zadran returning to the team, this could all become better for Afghanistan. The only thing that they are light on is their fast bowling power, and this could hurt them on Pakistan’s flatter wickets.
But the Proteas need not to worry about that. They are stacked with fast bowling options, even with a handful of their regular pacers sidelined due to injuries. Unlike Afghanistan, though, South Africa are not blessed with an abundance of spinners. They have Tabraiz Shamsi and Keshav Maharaj in the squad as the only specialist spinners but will likely go with just one of the pair.
Their batting lineup, on the other hand, is built to inflict serious damage. And why wouldn’t it? If they opt for only one specialist spinner, they can easily stretch their batting depth all the way to No. 10, where Corbin Bosch’s all-round skills can be used for additional firepower. In all fairness, that’s quite a scary prospect. A team that can fill its lineup with that many batters and still boasts a solid bowling attack is one that demands reverence, at the very least.
Head-to-Head Record:
South Africa and Afghanistan have only played five ODI matches against each other. Out of these five, the Proteas were the better side in three, while Afghanistan managed to win two one-dayers.
Weather and Pitch Report:
The renovated National Stadium, Karachi has become a venue for high-scoring encounters lately. This year only, the 300-run-mark has been breached thrice in Karachi. There is no reason for the track to behave any differently in the upcoming encounter.
Prediction:
Whoever wins, one thing is a certainty–this game is going to be an entertainer. But Afghanistan’s form would want it to be one with a good ending for them.
Where to Watch:
Pakistan: Tapmad, PTV Sport, Ten Sports, Myco App
India: Star Sports Network, Network 18, JioCinema App
UK: Sky Sports Cricket, Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Action, Sky Sport App
Australia: PrimeVideo
New Zealand: Sky Sports NZ, Sky Sports Now, Sky Go
Afghanistan: ATN
South Africa: SuperSport Network
Bangladesh: Nagorik TV, T Sports, Toffee app
Sri Lanka: Maharaja TV, Sirasa TV
USA: Willow TV
Caribbean: ESPN Caribbean App
MENA: StarzPlay, CricLife Max, CricLife Max 2
