Afghanistan and South Africa will face off in the first semi-final of the 2024 T20 World Cup at the Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba, Trinidad. Here's everything to watch out for ahead of the game.
AFG vs SA: Live score and ball-by-ball commentary
Afghanistan won the toss and chose to bat first.
Follow the live score and get ball-by-ball updates for the Afghanistan v South Africa fixture here.
AFG vs SA: Playing 11
Afghanistan
Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Azmatullah Omarzai, Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Nabi, Karim Janat, Nangeyalia Kharote, Rashid Khan (c), Noor Ahmad, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi.
South Africa
Quinton de Kock (wk), Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markram (c), Tristan Stubbs, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Tabraiz Shamsi.
AFG vs SA: Where to watch live
The complete list of TV broadcasters for the T20 World Cup can be found here.
Today's T20 World Cup match preview
Afghanistan v South Africa, Semi-final 1
Where: Brian Lara Stadium, Tarouba, Trinidad
When: June 26, 08.30pm local time
Less than 48 hours after scripting history to qualify for the semi-finals, Afghanistan will be at it again. As they step onto the field at the Brian Lara Stadium, their players will be fully aware of the significance of what they could potentially achieve by making it all the way to the summit clash. What they have done is awe-inspiring enough, but nothing is ever 'enough' for this cricket team. Their game against Bangladesh served up drama for the ages, and it might not get any easier given the history of their opponents.
On the international stage, South Africa have been characterised by heartbreak. There are too many to list, but here in the Caribbean, they once again stand on the cusp of glory. They have won seven out of seven matches in this tournament, the most by a team in a single edition ever, and yet do not look wholly convincing. It is a strange situation to be in but South Africa can take solace in the fact that they face the one team in the final four that is less experienced than them at this stage. On paper, they are the stronger side but the journey from paper to pitch is a long one.
T20 World Cup results: Who won yesterday's match?
Afghanistan v Bangladesh: Afghanistan won by 8 runs (DLS)
AFG vs SA: Who are the key players?
Rashid Khan
Following a back surgery earlier this year, the consensus was that Rashid Khan had not looked at his threatening best during the IPL, but he has gradually come into his own over the course of this tournament. Against Bangladesh, he scored an invaluable 19* (10) and ripped the heart out of their middle-order with 4-23. On a night when history beckons once more, Afghanistan will look to their captain to make an all-round impact.
Heinrich Klaasen
Heinrich Klaasen has made his name over the last two years or so as the world's most fearsome hitter of spin in the shortest format, but has not set this tournament on fire as many had predicted. There have been signs, almost a bubbling beneath the surface, but the volcano has not truly erupted. Afghanistan will attempt to keep spin away from him in any case, but if he gets the chance, Klaasen can get hold of anyone on the planet — even Rashid Khan.
AFG vs SA team news
Afghanistan
Afghanistan seem to have settled on their preferred XI in the last two matches. Given the results in those games, they are unlikely to make any changes, even based on conditions. They may be tempted to bring in an extra batter but most likely do not want to lose the flexibility of having eight (!) solid bowling options. There was concern over Rahmanullah Gurbaz after injured his knee and had to be replaced while keeping wickets against Bangladesh, but given it was an impact injury he should recover in time. Something says Gulbadin Naib has recovered from his hamstring injury quite well.
South Africa
South Africa played both their spinners against West Indies last time out, and should do the same in Trinidad. Marco Jansen was injured in a collision while fielding and did not finish bowling his quota of overs. He did come out to bat (and hit the winning runs) though, so should be fit for the semi-final as well. Opener Reeza Hendricks' form has been a concern, and he could be replaced by Ryan Rickleton but whether the Proteas will think it wise to throw the latter in for the first time in a knockout fixture is yet to be seen.
Pitch report and ground conditions
The pitch in Trinidad has played host to several one-sided matches in this World Cup, as PNG and Uganda were steamrolled by Afghanistan and New Zealand respectively. The West Indies-New Zealand match saw a Sherfane Rutherford special to take the hosts to 149 and a 13-run win but it was undoubtedly a game for the bowlers.
The patchiness of the surface here has contributed to difficult batting conditions, with unpredictability in bounce and spin, especially. Depending on which strip is used for this match, the square boundaries could be very close in dimension, or up to 7m apart in size. The straight hit is roughly 75m and the wind, although not very strong, blows across the ground towards the shorter side.
Team form (Most recent first)
Afghanistan: WWLLW
South Africa: WWWWW
Odds and match prediction
To check the latest odds on the South Africa v Afghanistan T20 World Cup semi-final, head to our T20 World Cup partner Stake.
Follow Wisden for all T20 World Cup updates, including live scores, match stats, quizzes and more. Stay up to date with the latest cricket news, player updates, team standings, match highlights and video analysis.
