Afghanistan and South Africa’s cricketing duel is the growth team vs the giant slaying team. South Africa had always been dominating but recently Afghanistan’s growth to becoming an international force in cricket has made their contest all the more interesting. As such it gives a chronological outline of their confrontations in the different formats of the game and specific highlights of this rivalry. in this article we will provide a information about Afghanistan national cricket team vs South Africa national cricket team timeline
Afghanistan Cricket Team
Player Name | Role |
Rashid Khan | Captain, All-rounder |
Rahmanullah Gurbaz | Wicketkeeper-Batsman |
Ibrahim Zadran | Batsman |
Azmatullah Omarzai | All-rounder |
Najibullah Zadran | Batsman |
Mohammad Ishaq | Batsman |
Mohammad Nabi | All-rounder |
Gulbadin Naib | All-rounder |
Karim Janat | All-rounder |
Nangyal Kharoti | Bowler |
Hazratullah Zazai | Batsman |
Noor Ahmad | Bowler |
Naveen-ul-Haq | Bowler |
Fazalhaq Farooqi | Bowler |
Fareed Ahmad Malik | Bowler |
South Africa Cricket Team
Player Name | Role |
Aiden Markram | Captain, All-rounder |
Ottniel Baartman | Bowler |
Gerald Coetzee | Bowler |
Quinton de Kock | Wicketkeeper-Batsman |
Bjorn Fortuin | Bowler |
Reeza Hendricks | Batsman |
Marco Jansen | All-rounder |
Heinrich Klaasen | Batsman |
Keshav Maharaj | Bowler |
David Miller | Batsman |
Anrich Nortje | Bowler |
Kagiso Rabada | Bowler |
Ryan Rickelton | Batsman |
Tabraiz Shamsi | Bowler |
Tristan Stubbs | Batsman |
One Day Internationals (ODIs)
The first time that Afghanistan and South Africa came face to face at a very professional level was during the ICC Cricket World Cup. As expected, the team with the most number of years of experience in playing cricket, the South Africa team defeated the relatively new team from Afghanistan. But these matches were important for Afghani team, it gave them exposure and needed practice for playing against top teams.
- ICC Cricket World Cup: March 1 , 2015 Venue: Sydney, Australia
In this match it was clearly seen how strong the SA batting line up is especially with de Villiers scoring a magnificent 162 not out. Afghanistan fought hard against the South African bowlers especially Imran Tahir who bowled the best innings bowling in Australian cricket century and took 4 wickets for 41 runs on the pitch. South Africa defeated West Indies by 257 runs, a situation which clearly showed the difference between the two sides then.
- June 15, 2019 – ICC Cricket World Cup, Cardiff, Wales
Four years later the face-off was repeat in the 2019 World Cup match between the two teams. Although there improvement was seen, Afghanistan was still not a match to the Proteas. Quinton de Kock gave a good account of himself scoring 68 for the Proteas while for the bowlers, Chris Morris delivered figures of 3 for 13 propelling South Africa to a comfortable win.
Date | Tournament | Venue | Winner | Key Performances |
March 1, 2015 | ICC Cricket World Cup | Sydney, Australia | South Africa | AB de Villiers 162*, Imran Tahir 4/41 |
June 15, 2019 | ICC Cricket World Cup | Cardiff, Wales | South Africa | Quinton de Kock 68, Chris Morris 3/13 |
T20 Internationals (T20Is)
Afghanistan has also develop well when it comes to T20I, the team is very spirit and this is seen when playing T20. They have been more evenly match in T20 International, but South Africa still has the upper hand.
- May 5, 2010 – ICC T20 World Cup, Bridgetown, Barbados
The two teams first played against each other in T20I during the 2010 ICC T20 World Cup. Jacques Kallis, scored a calm 34, while Johan Botha with the ball bowled extremely well picking 3 wickets for 16 runs, Hence, South Africa triumphed in the match. Still playing in the world arena, the Afghan team did not attract much attention, got a small score and lost the right to bowl, indicating their inexperience in such games. Afghanistan national cricket team vs South Africa national cricket team timeline
- March 20, 2016 – ICC T20 World Cup, Mumbai, India
By the year 2016 Afghanistan had improved its T20 team to a much more competitive level. In this match they made the fight with South Africa very close. Faf du Plessis batted like a wall scoring 41 runs and Chris Morris was the pick of bowler by conceding 27 runs for taking four wickets. However, the Afghan players gave their best performance and secured a very close win for South Africa but not by a big margin as the previous matches.
- June 26, 2024 – ICC T20 World Cup, Trinidad
The last and perhaps the most important event of contact between Afghanistan and South Africa was held in the 2024 ICC T20 Cricket World Cup semi-final stage. This journey was quite commendable because Afghanistan had bumped off bigger teams such as the Australians and the New Zealanders to the semi-finals. However, that is where the ability and the talent of the South African side proved to be too much for Afghanistan. Opener Rilee Roussow scored the only fifty of the match and South African fast bowler Marco Jansen and spinner Tabraiz Shamsi shared four wickets apiece as Afghanistan was all out for 56. South Africa won the match and it put the end to Afghanistan’s passion to reach its first World Cup final.
Date | Tournament | Venue | Winner | Key Performances |
May 5, 2010 | ICC T20 World Cup | Bridgetown, Barbados | South Africa | Jacques Kallis 34, Johan Botha 3/16 |
March 20, 2016 | ICC T20 World Cup | Mumbai, India | South Africa | Faf du Plessis 41, Chris Morris 4/27 |
June 26, 2024 | ICC T20 World Cup | Trinidad | South Africa | Marco Jansen 3/16, Tabraiz Shamsi 3/16 |
Conclusion
Over the years the series has depicted the improvement of Afghanistan in the cricket arena and the consistent and remarkable performance of South Africa. South Africa has been the overpowering force in most of the meetings, but Afghanistan is coming up as a much, interesting force in the rivalry. Subsequent face offs between these two teams may be much closer either way meaning fan across the globe will continue to be treat to exciting cricket.
Frequently Asked Questions
- When did Afghanistan and South Africa first play against each other in an ICC tournament?
Afghanistan and South Africa first met in an ICC tournament during the 2010 ICC T20 World Cup in Bridgetown, Barbados.
- What is the most notable victory for South Africa against Afghanistan?
One of the most notable victories was during the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup, where South Africa defeated Afghanistan by 257 runs in Sydney, Australia.
- Has Afghanistan ever beaten South Africa in any format?
As of the most recent encounters, Afghanistan has not yet defeated South Africa in any official ICC tournament match.
- What was Afghanistan’s best performance against South Africa?
Afghanistan’s best performance in terms of competitiveness was during the 2016 ICC T20 World Cup, where they challenged South Africa but ultimately lost.
Who were the standout players for South Africa and Afghanistan in their 2024 ICC T20 World Cup semi-final?
For South Africa, Marco Jansen and Tabraiz Shamsi were the standout players, each taking 3 wickets. Afghanistan struggled, with their team being bowled out for just 56 runs.
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