Afghanistan was not granted a spot in the T20 World Cup 2024 final when they played South Africa in the tournament’s opening semi-final on Thursday, June 27, at the Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba, Trinidad.
The South African pacers struck early and badly punished Rashid Khan for trying to bat first. Rahmanullah Gurbaz, an in-form opener for Afghanistan, was dismissed by Marco Jansen (3-0-16-3) in the first over itself.
The Blue Tigers’ situation only got worse from there, as they had already lost half of the team at the score of 23. The lower middle order was in no mood to lolly gag in the middle, so they committed careless strokes and showed a lack of knowledge of the match situation, which resulted in a couple more wickets. One batter after another was removed from the game, and on the fifth ball of the 12th over, Tabraiz Shamsi drove home the last nail, giving his team a target of 57 for the penultimate over.
The pursuit was never going to be tough for the team commanded by Aiden Markram, given the aim. Quinton de Kock left in the second over, indicating that the opening partnership was short lived. Though they bowled tightly, captain Markram teamed with Reeza Hendricks to ensure there were no more mishaps in the match. As a result of the batters’ resistance, the first-time semifinalists were put under more strain and began hitting odd balls for boundaries. Afghanistan lost the match, meaning the Proteas would advance to the final, which would take place in Barbados, with very little to fight for.
Talking Points
Spinners finish, pacers begin:
After Jansen’s first-over breakthrough, other pacers were able to contribute as well. Actually, veteran player Kagiso Rabada (3-1-14-2) started a mayday in the Afghan dressing room with a double whammy in the third over. Additionally, Rashid Khan and Azmatullah Omarzai were taken out by Anrich Nortje. Finally joining the fun was Tabraiz Shamsi (1.5-0-6-3), who trapped three batters leg before wickets.
Proteas arrives at its target with ease.
The ardent supporters of Afghanistan may have had a ray of hope after a wicket in the second over, but Markram & Co. advanced to the 2024 edition finals thanks to a 55-run partnership for the second wicket. South Africa won the match with nine wickets left and 67 balls left in the end. They will now play the victor of the India vs. England Semi-final 2 on Saturday, June 29 in Barbados.
What Was Said by Who?
The player of the match is Marco Jansen.
Awesome feeling. We performed flawlessly, and the guys played incredibly well. All we wanted to do was follow the strategy, bowl good distances, and see the wicket’s reaction. It was important to keep it simple because the wicket was becoming a little exposed. (On Markram) Having him as a captain is fantastic. After enjoying ourselves tonight, we’ll head back out.
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