World
South Africa v Afghanistan: T20 World Cup semi-final – live
Key events
South Africa XI
South Africa: Quinton de Kock (wk), Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markram (capt), David Miller, Heinrich Klaasen, Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Tabraiz Shamsi
Afghanistan XI
Afghanistan:Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Azmatullah Omarzai, Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Nabi, Karim Janat, Rashid Khan (capt), Nangeyalia Kharote, Naveen-ul-Haq, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi.
Afghanistan win the toss and will bat!
A beaming Rashid Khan:“We haven’t slept much,, everyone is pumped up. This game is huge with us.” Aiden Markram would have batted too. Both sides are unchanged.
If South Africa win today, they will be into their first final in international competition since making the final of the Champions trophy in 1998. Afghanistan have never been in the semis of a big ICC competition before, and only gained full member status in 2017. Though that status in itself is currently controversial, as the ICC constitution says full members should have a women’s side and Afghanistan’s was disbanded with the arrival of the Taliban.
Preamble
Good morning! It’s still heady with heat here in Manchester, jasmine and mock orange hanging in the air, so I’m currently feeling a kinship with those waking up in Trinidad ( indulge me here for a moment ).
This first semi-final is an unexpected gem, if not the game people were expecting. Firstly – no Australia. Secondly – Afghanistan! South Africa, their opponents, warmed up for today with seven successive wins. But can the famous tournament chokers do it on the day?
During the group stages the pitch at Brian Lara sStadium proffered variable bounce – though the builders were sent in since to switch it off and odd again in the hope things will reset. I’m going to quickly grab an hours’s sleep – back soon with news of the toss.