Next to impossible challenge awaits Afghanistan
Afghanistan need a big victory in order to get a significant boost to their net run rate as they look to keep their World Cup 2023 semifinal hopes alive when they face a South Africa outfit looking to bounce back from a crushing defeat at the hands of India.
Afghanistan have been one of the surprise packets of the tournament with four stirring triumphs so far, but now have arguably the most important match in their cricket history to come with a spot in the knockout stages on the line.
Hashmatullah Shahidi's side looked on track to clinch a critical fifth win in their last encounter until coming across a rampaging Glenn Maxwell who took the game away singlehandedly.
Victory in that clash, which would have been Afghanistan's fourth on the trot, would have pushed the emerging side into the top four and two points ahead of fellow semifinal contenders New Zealand and Pakistan.
But as it stands, Afghanistan enter this contest at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad today sitting in sixth place and crucially well behind those two other teams on net run rate, in the race for the last place in the knockout stages.
South Africa present a daunting challenge for Afghanistan. Still, if anything this campaign has proved is that the Afghans, who beat world champions England, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka before having Australia on the ropes, can down any opponent on their day.
The Proteas also only had words of praise for an inspiring Afghan side.
"They've been really, really good to watch," said South Africa batter David Miller of Afghanistan. "They're a team that's certainly growing in confidence. They've shown that they can compete. I mean this World Cup they've done really, really well, beaten some big teams."
He added: "It's been good to watch the Afghanistan group going the way that they have with the spinners that they've got, the batters up front.
"They have a chance to make the semifinals. That's the joy of the World Cup. You see different teams doing well, people that don't necessarily rate a certain team exceeding in a certain phase of the World Cup."
Temba Bavuma's side have little to play for with a semifinal showdown with Australia already assured.
Miller admitted players were excited at the prospect of a World Cup semifinal against Australia as he hailed "X-factor" Maxwell for his "really special" 201-run masterclass against the Afghans.
When Australia and South Africa met in the group stage at Lucknow four weeks ago, Maxwell was out for three and the Proteas romped to a 134-run victory.
"We played them before in the World Cup, so kind of a dress rehearsal there and we've played them quite a bit in the past," said Miller of the five-match home series on the eve of the World Cup that South Africa won 3-2.
"So, we know what to expect. They're always a competitive team. They've got some incredible players and match-winners amongst their team."
Stabox:
*Afghanistan and South Africa have come across each other in ODIs only on one occasion -- when they met in a World Cup game four years ago in Cardiff. The Proteas secured a thumping nine-wicket victory in that game.
*South Africa are undefeated at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad so far, winning both their ODIs against India at this venue.
*Before this edition, Afghanistan, who now look to book a spot in the semifinals, had only one win in ODI World Cups.
*South Africa's Quinton de Kock, who has already hit four tons this World Cup, is just one century shy of equalling Rohit Sharma's record. Rohit's five centuries in the 2019 World Cup is the most by any player in a single edition of the tournament.
*South Africa have hit a total of 82 sixes so far in this tournament -- the highest by any team in a single edition of the World Cup.