South Africa faces off against Afghanistan in the Champions Trophy Group B opener. Afghanistan enters their first Champions Trophy after strong performances, nearly reaching the ODI World Cup semi-finals and winning four out of five recent series. Meanwhile, South Africa, a previous champion in 1998, has struggled lately, losing three of their last four ODI series. Despite recent setbacks, South Africa has assembled its best squad, while Afghanistan’s success against them in recent encounters adds confidence. Controversially, South Africa’s sports minister opposed participation against Afghanistan. Both nations boast powerful batting line-ups, setting the stage for a thrilling match in Karachi.
Overview: The match some wished South Africa would skip
Group B of the Champions Trophy kicks off with a clash between the standout team from the last two tournaments, Afghanistan, and South Africa, which is haunted by the memories of its repeated failures to secure the trophy.
Afghanistan will make their Champions Trophy debut, buoyed by strong performances during the 2023 ODI World Cup, where they narrowly missed a semi-final berth, as well as an impressive streak evident in their post-World Cup performances. They have clinched four out of five bilateral series (with two wins against Ireland and Zimbabwe, who aren’t in this tournament) and reached the T20 World Cup semi-finals during this period. A short and intense event like this presents them with a fantastic chance to seize a major title—what if they achieve this before South Africa?
To give credit to South Africa, they have previously won the Champions Trophy—in its first edition in 1998, when it was known as the ICC Knockout and featured a ruthless knockout format. As the name suggests: lose, and you’re out. They managed to win all three matches then. However, this time around, teams will need to contend with five matches, allowing for at least one misstep. The challenge for South Africa lies in their recent track record of stumbling more often than not.
Since the last World Cup, they have lost three of their four bilateral ODI series and experienced a six-match losing streak in ODIs. However, they don’t seem burdened by this record. They’ve used ODIs as a developmental platform, capping 10 new players since the 2023 ODI World Cup. For the first time since then, they have their strongest player pool available, and as shown at last year’s T20 World Cup, where they reached the final, their full-strength side can be more formidable than many anticipate.
Both teams boast explosive batting line-ups, with Afghanistan’s batting strength showcased at the top through Ibrahim Zadran and Rahmanullah Gurbaz, while South Africa’s power lies in the middle order. This sets the stage for intriguing match-ups between South Africa’s seamers and the Afghan top order, as well as Afghanistan’s spinners against the South African middle order.
It’s worth noting that if South Africa’s sports minister Gayton McKenzie had his way, this match wouldn’t take place. He compared the Taliban’s treatment of women to Apartheid, labeling it “hypocritical and immoral” to ignore it. In contrast, Cricket South Africa has actively pursued bilateral matches against Afghanistan—thus, their September 2024 series wasn’t initially on the fixture list—arguing that disengaging with Afghanistan won’t result in meaningful change.
This narrative is likely to grow stronger throughout the tournament as Afghanistan’s next opponents, England and Australia, also face mounting pressure regarding their games against Afghanistan, but have confirmed they will proceed as planned. The Afghanistan team finds itself in a challenging position, and captain Hashmatullah Shahidi reiterated the old saying, “we can only control…the controllable things,” but their presence undeniably fuels ongoing discussions.
South Africa: LLLLL (last five completed matches, recent first)
Afghanistan: WWWLW
Focus: South Africa’s experience and Afghanistan’s spin attack
Rob Walter, South Africa’s white-ball coach, will have his philosophy of big players rising to big occasions tested in this tournament, with David Miller and Kagiso Rabada under the spotlight. They stand as the only squad members with over 100 ODI caps and are recognized as the leaders within the batting lineup and bowling attack, respectively. Miller benefits from a solid top-order that can set a strong foundation, while Rabada will spearhead a unit prepared for challenging playing conditions. Both are expected to keep their composure and provide leadership as South Africa aims for silverware.
In contrast, Afghanistan brings recent experience against South Africa into the game, bolstered by several players who participated in the SA20. Noor Ahmed and Rashid Khan were particularly successful, serving as the highest wicket-takers for their franchises (Noor for Durban Super Giants and Rashid jointly with Rabada for MI Cape Town). Though South Africa has improved its overall approach to spin, they still occasionally falter, and Afghanistan will look to take advantage with their star spinners.
South Africa may need to leave out both Ryan Rickelton and Tristan Stubbs given the already robust batting lineup. Aiden Markram’s part-time off-spin might lead them to only include one specialist spinner in Keshav Maharaj, which would allow the inclusion of both allrounders, Wiaan Mulder and Marco Jansen, alongside two more frontline pacers.
South Africa (potential lineup): 1 Temba Bavuma (capt) 2 Tony de Zorzi, 3 Rassie van der Dussen, 4 Aiden Markram, 5 Heinrich Klaasen (wk), 6 David Miller, 7 Wiaan Mulder, 8 Marco Jansen, 9 Corbin Bosch, 10 Keshav Maharaj, 11 Kagiso Rabada
Ibrahim Zadran will return to the Afghan squad following an ankle injury that kept him out since March. Although he’s had some game time in the ILT20, they’ll have to make a choice between left-arm wrist-spinner Noor Ahmed, who excelled in the SA20, and left-arm fingerspinner Nangeyalia Kharote in place of AM Ghazanfar, who is sidelined with a back issue. This choice adds variety to their spin options, supplementing Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi while still featuring four seam bowlers.
Afghanistan (potential lineup): 1 Ibrahim Zadran, 2 Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), 3 Rahmat Shah, 4 Hashmatullah Shahidi (capt), 5 Azmatullah Omarzai, 6 Gulbadin Naib, 7 Mohammad Nabi, 8 Rashid Khan, 9 Noor Ahmad/Nangeyalia Kharote, 10 Naveed Zadran, 11 Fazalhaq Farooqi
Karachi has been a high-scoring venue, with New Zealand scoring 320 in the tournament’s opening match and Pakistan achieving their highest successful ODI chase—353—against South Africa during last week’s mini tri-series. There are indications that similar high scores are expected. South Africa’s bowlers, particularly their spinners, have discussed refining their defensive strategies, hinting at preparation for a match where batters will have opportunities to shine. Afghanistan also anticipates that the match will feel like a home game, given the substantial expat community in Karachi.
“Recently, we secured a 2-1 series win against them in Sharjah, which gives us confidence. We’re not feeling pressured now. Our focus is on our skills in this tournament. I believe our team is more equipped for this tournament, and we are concentrating on our own performance. There’s no pressure on us.”
Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi comments on his team’s underdog status despite having met South Africa only five times, winning twice.
“As with any tournament, we enter with the ambition of reaching the final and ultimately winning. The positive aspect is that we have a roster filled with experience, and none of the players feel weighed down by past disappointments in ICC events. There’s a greater sense of positivity and confidence regarding how far we might go in this tournament.”
Temba Bavuma asserts that South Africa carries no baggage from previous tournaments into this one.
