Semi-Final 1 of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 features South Africa against Afghanistan (SA vs AFG) at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Tarouba, Trinidad and Tobago on Thursday (IST). South Africa enters the match with a victory over West Indies, winning by three wickets (DLS method), led by top fantasy performer Tabraiz Shamsi with 85 points. Meanwhile, Afghanistan defeated Bangladesh by eight runs (DLS method), with Rashid Khan scoring a high of 157 fantasy points.
Pitch and Weather Conditions
The pitch at Tarouba is well-balanced, averaging a first innings score of 117 runs in the last 20 matches. Teams winning the toss tend to bowl first here, given the favourable chasing record. The venue suits both pacers and spinners, offering a fair contest for all bowling types. Weather conditions are expected to be around 23.56°C with high humidity (91%) and moderate winds of 1.89 m/s.
Head-to-Head Record
South Africa has a perfect record against Afghanistan, winning both previous encounters. Protea wicket-keepers have excelled in fantasy points for their team, contrasting with Afghanistan’s top performers among the all-rounders.
Fantasy Top Picks
– Fazalhaq Farooqi: A valuable player with an average of 61 fantasy points, boasting 16 wickets at an economy rate of 6.38 in recent games.
– Quinton de Kock: A consistent performer with 48 fantasy points on average, scoring 199 runs at a strike rate of 148.50 in recent matches.
– Naveen-ul-Haq: With 60 fantasy points on average, he impresses with 13 wickets at an economy rate of 6.12.
– Tristan Stubbs: Known for explosive batting, he averages 41 fantasy points and maintains an average of 33.50 in recent matches.
– Rashid Khan: A pivotal spinner with 75 fantasy points on average, claiming 14 wickets at an economy rate of 6.10.
Probable Playing XIs
South Africa (SA) Possible Playing XI: Quinton de Kock, Tristan Stubbs, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markram, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Tabraiz Shamsi, Keshav Maharaj, Marco Jansen
Afghanistan (AFG) Possible Playing XI: Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Rashid Khan, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Naveen-ul-Haq, Noor Ahmad, Nangeyalia Kharote, Gulbadin Naib, Karim Janat, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi
