The Champions Trophy Group B opens with a match between South Africa and Afghanistan. Afghanistan, entering the tournament after strong ODI performances, aims to capitalize on this opportunity for a major title. South Africa, while having a history of winning the Champions Trophy, struggles with recent form, losing three of their last four ODI series. Key players include South Africa’s David Miller and Kagiso Rabada, and Afghanistan’s spinners like Rashid Khan. Controversially, South Africa’s sports minister questioned the legitimacy of the match against Afghanistan, leading to broader debates on their participation amid political pressures.
Overview: The Match Many Expected SA to Avoid
Group B of the Champions Trophy kicks off with a clash between the two tournament favorites from the last two events, Afghanistan, and South Africa, a team haunted by its history of failing to secure the coveted trophy.
Afghanistan will make their Champions Trophy debut following a strong showing at the 2023 ODI World Cup, where they narrowly missed a semi-final berth, and have enjoyed a successful streak in One Day Internationals since. They have clinched victories in four out of five bilateral series, although two of those were against Ireland and Zimbabwe, who are absent from this tournament. Additionally, they made it to the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup. This compact format presents a remarkable chance for them to snatch a major title—imagine if they achieved this before South Africa?
To be fair, South Africa has previously won the Champions Trophy, claiming the title in its inaugural 1998 edition, then known as the ICC Knockout, featuring an unforgiving knockout structure. They managed to triumph in three straight matches that year. In contrast, this time, teams will need to compete in five matches, allowing a slip-up (probably just one). South Africa, however, has faced recent struggles, stumbling more often than expected.
They have lost three of their last four bilateral ODI series and have faced defeat in their last six ODIs. Yet, this poor record hasn’t weighed them down; they have utilized ODIs as a developmental platform, having capped 10 new players since the 2023 ODI World Cup. For the first time since then, their strongest available players are assembled, showcasing their strength when at full capacity, as evidenced by their journey to the final in last year’s T20 World Cup.
Both teams boast explosive batting line-ups, highlighted by Afghanistan’s powerful opening duo of Ibrahim Zadran and Rahmanullah Gurbaz, alongside South Africa’s middle-order strength. Key match-ups to watch will be between South Africa’s seamers and the Afghan top order, as well as the spin battle between Afghanistan and South Africa’s middle order.
It’s worth mentioning that the match may not have occurred at all if South Africa’s sports minister, Gayton McKenzie, had his way. He likened the Taliban regime’s treatment of women to Apartheid, saying it would be “hypocritical and immoral” to disregard such issues. However, Cricket South Africa has chosen to continue with bilateral fixtures against Afghanistan, including a series planned for September 2024 that was not on the Future Tours Programme (FTP), explaining that boycotting Afghanistan wouldn’t yield real change.
This narrative will likely become more prominent throughout the tournament, especially as Afghanistan’s subsequent opponents—England and Australia—also face internal pressure to not play against them, yet have confirmed the fixtures will proceed. Afghanistan’s team finds itself caught in a complex situation, with captain Hashmatullah Shahidi reiterating the idea of focusing only on “controllable things,” yet their participation keeps the dialogue active.
South Africa: LLLLL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Afghanistan: WWWLW
Focus: South Africa’s Experience vs. Afghanistan’s Spin Attack
Rob Walter, South Africa’s white-ball coach, will put his philosophy of big players stepping up during crucial moments to the test this tournament, particularly with David Miller and Kagiso Rabada in the spotlight. Only two members of the squad surpass 100 ODI caps and are viewed as the squad’s experienced leaders. While Miller benefits from a solid top-order batsmen setup to lay the groundwork, Rabada shoulders the responsibility of leading a pace attack that may encounter challenging conditions. Both players are expected to maintain composure and offer guidance as South Africa aims for silverware.
Afghanistan enjoys recent familiarity with South Africa thanks to the many players participating in the SA20, particularly Noor Ahmed and Rashid Khan, who excelled as top wicket-takers for their franchises (Noor for Durban Super Giants and Rashid as the joint-highest alongside Rabada for MI Cape Town). Even though South Africa has improved their overall approach to spin, they still occasionally struggle, presenting Afghanistan an opportunity to capitalize on these weaknesses with two of their finest spinners.
South Africa may need to sit out both Ryan Rickelton and Tristan Stubbs given their already powerful batting lineup. Aiden Markram’s occasional offspin could lead them to opt for just one specialist spinner, Keshav Maharaj, thus enabling the inclusion of both seam-bowling allrounders, Wiaan Mulder and Marco Jansen, alongside two other frontline pacers.
South Africa (possible): 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 lineup after last appearing in March due to an ankle injury. He has gained some match practice in the ILT20. With AM Ghazanfar sidelined with a back issue, they must choose between left-arm wrist-spinner Noor Ahmed, who found success at the SA20, or left-arm finger-spinner Nangeyalia Kharote. This decision would offer them diverse spin options alongside Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi, along with four seam bowlers as well.
Afghanistan: (possible) 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 recently, with New Zealand posting 320 in the tournament opener and Pakistan recording their highest successful ODI chase—353—against South Africa in a recent mini tri-series. Predictions suggest a continuation of this trend. South Africa’s bowlers, particularly the spinners, are concentrating on refining their defensive strategies, hinting that they are ready for a high-scoring thriller where batters have ample opportunities to showcase their skills. Afghanistan anticipates a home-ground feel due to a significant expat demographic in Karachi.
“Recently, we beat them 2-1 in Sharjah, which boosts our confidence, and we aren’t feeling the pressure. Our main focus is on what we can achieve in this tournament. I believe our team is more prepared for this event, concentrating on our strengths. There’s no pressure on us.”
Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi reacts to the narrative of his side being underdogs against a team they’ve faced five times, winning twice.
“As with all tournaments, we approach it with the aspiration of reaching the final, and ultimately, winning it. The positive aspect is that we have players with experience, and there’s no baggage weighing us down. There’s a general sense of positivity and confidence regarding our abilities and how far we can progress in the tournament.”
Temba Bavuma asserts South Africa enters this tournament unburdened by past tournament failures.
