As England faces South Africa in a Group B match that has minimal stakes for them, the focus shifts to Jos Buttler’s captaincy ending amid England’s poor performances. South Africa is poised to advance to the semi-finals and looks to capitalize on their strengths. Joe Root aims to shine against familiar foes, while Wiaan Mulder gains importance in South Africa’s lineup. Injuries are a concern for England, with Mark Wood sidelined. Both teams have experienced highs and lows, but South Africa’s confidence is bolstered by previous successful outings, while England seeks to reclaim their competitive edge.
Overview: Focus on Buttler
What could have been a quarter-final is essentially a dead rubber as Group B concludes with a clash between two formidable teams. England is already eliminated from semi-final contention and will soon undergo a phase of reflection regarding their disappointing ODI results, starting with Jos Buttler’s decision to step down as captain. Meanwhile, South Africa is almost guaranteed a spot in the last four (only an extreme defeat could prevent their progression ahead of Afghanistan, following Friday’s washout), marking their third consecutive appearance in the knockout stages of an ICC event. This outcome would also reinforce white-ball coach Rob Walter’s claim that when they have a full-strength squad, they can compete with the best.
Some may doubt England’s current standing, but they are the highest-ranked team South Africa will face in this tournament to date, after their match against Australia was also called off. South Africa’s opening match against Afghanistan a week ago resulted in a comfortable victory in Karachi, the same venue as this game. Conversely, England suffered their second successive defeat to Afghanistan in a major ODI tournament and will question whether the gap between them and South Africa is as vast as the margin of defeat against Afghanistan indicates.
Past evidence from the last World Cup supports this notion, as South Africa dominated England with a 229-run win in Mumbai. Prior to that, South Africa secured a 2-1 series victory over England in an ODI series amidst the inaugural SA20, which ensured their qualification for that World Cup. This series somewhat marked a pivotal moment for both teams: South Africa began a rebuilding phase resulting in mostly positive outcomes, while England, despite winning ODI series against Bangladesh, New Zealand, and Ireland in 2023, have lost their last four bilateral games and seem to struggle at the major tournaments.
England will certainly want to leave this match with a notable performance. They will present an attack featuring Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, and Liam Livingstone, which will pose a challenge for South Africa, who will hope to reinforce their batting strategy ahead of a likely semi-final.
South Africa: WLLLL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
England: LLLLL
Featured Players: Joe Root and Wiaan Mulder
After leading the run-scoring charts at one point in the SA20 and ultimately finishing eighth, Joe Root became a fan favorite in South Africa—particularly among Paarl Royals supporters—who take some credit for his current form. He is currently third in this year’s Champions Trophy batting rankings, having already contributed a fifty and a century—the latter being his first in 40 ODIs since 2019. However, Root would relish the chance to make a substantial score that leads to a victory. Familiar with South Africa’s bowling attack, he may see this match as an opportunity to assert his dominance against them amidst potential changes in the England lineup.
Wiaan Mulder has transitioned from a fringe player to an essential part of a South Africa team that already includes seam-bowling allrounder Marco Jansen. Mulder’s role differs from Jansen’s, whose left-arm angle, express pace, and ability to generate bounce are key components of South Africa’s bowling strategy. Conversely, Mulder provides seam movement and a hint of swing, having worked diligently on his consistency and batting, thereby allowing South Africa to field a fourth seamer and a more balanced lineup. His brief innings of 12 runs from six balls against Afghanistan showcased his batting promise, while he also contributed 2 for 36 in nine overs, marking an underrated but significant impact.
Injuries for England continue to pile up. Mark Wood is scheduled to consult a specialist in the UK next week following a left knee injury sustained against Afghanistan, with Saqib Mahmood likely to step in for Wood. Additionally, this match will mark Buttler’s final game as captain.
England (probable): 1 Phil Salt, 2 Ben Duckett, 3 Jamie Smith (wk), 4 Joe Root, 5 Harry Brook, 6 Jos Buttler (capt), 7 Liam Livingstone, 8 Jamie Overton, 9 Jofra Archer, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Saqib Mahmood
Heinrich Klaasen has been declared “fit and available for selection” by Walter after missing the match against Afghanistan due to an elbow injury. With Klaasen returning to the middle order, that will require South Africa to exclude one of their top-order players, likely Tony de Zorzi, with Ryan Rickelton partnering Temba Bavuma at the top, and Rassie van der Dussen filling the No. 3 spot. South Africa’s bowling attack may remain unchanged, allowing space for only one specialist spinner.
South Africa (probable): 1 Temba Bavuma (capt), 2 Ryan Rickelton, 3 Rassie van der Dussen, 4 Aiden Markram, 5 Heinrich Klaasen (wk), 6 David Miller, 7 Wiaan Mulder, 8 Marco Jansen, 9 Keshav Maharaj, 10 Kagiso Rabada, 11 Lungi Ngidi
Crucially, considering recent events, a clear day is expected in Karachi, which has proven to be a high-scoring venue. In the two preceding matches at this venue during the tournament, the batting first team has scored over 300 runs and won convincingly. South Africa was one of those teams and believes they could have further improved their tally of 315 for 6 against Afghanistan, aware of the possibilities given their experiences in these conditions over the past month during a tri-series. England, however, has faced two high-scoring encounters and fell short in both, leaving them to ponder what’s sufficient. In their final opportunity, they might aim to reinforce that their batting blueprint is not only entertaining but effective as well.
“When you consider the quality of the players, the English players possess high caliber. In league cricket globally, they perform well, indicating their adaptability. Analyzing the names on the sheet reveals quality players without a doubt. Cricket can be unpredictable, and sometimes that leads to losses. There are skilled cricketers who, honestly, could show up tomorrow and deliver an international standard performance against us.”
South Africa white-ball coach Rob Walter on why his team anticipates a challenge from England in their final match of this year’s Champions Trophy
