NEW DELHI:
South Africa
's quest to secure their maiden major cricket title may hinge on their ability to finally overcome the dreaded "chokers" label. Their latest test of resolve will come against
Afghanistan
in the Twenty20 World Cup semi-final at the
Brian Lara Stadium
in Tarouba, Trinidad on Thursday.
The Proteas have reached seven semi-finals across both short format World Cups, but have never progressed to a championship match.
However, they will be relieved to avoid facing Australia this time, having suffered defeats to them in three of the last four encounters.
Despite being known for consistently underperforming in international cricket, South Africa has been in impressive form, with their bowling performances propelling them through the group and Super Eight stages.
Captain
Aiden Markram
, however, has been less satisfied with their batting displays and is seeking improvement in that department ahead of their crucial semi-final clash in Trinidad.
"We've been doing really well and the bowling unit has been firing for us, which has been fantastic," Reuters quoted Markram as saying after his team ended the campaign of co-hosts West Indies in a shootout for a semi-final spot on Sunday.
"From a batting point of view, we need to be more clinical. Understanding when the right time is to really take the game on, and maybe understanding when the right time is to knock around for a couple of overs."
South Africa will be pleased with the way various team members have risen to the occasion during high-pressure moments, enabling them to maintain a perfect record after seven games. They will aim for another comprehensive team performance to overcome Afghanistan.
"We haven't played our best game of cricket yet," Markram said.
"So we'll try and put our best game of cricket together for that semi-final."
BIG ACHIEVEMENT
Afghanistan's remarkable journey in the tournament continued as they secured a thrilling eight-run victory over Bangladesh on Monday, following their stunning upset against Australia in their previous Super Eight match. This win propelled them into the semi-finals alongside India from Group 1, while the 2021 champions were eliminated.
The historic achievement of reaching their first-ever World Cup semi-final showcases the significant growth of cricket in Afghanistan, a nation that has been ravaged by conflict.
Led by the charismatic
Rashid Khan
, the team has already made waves in the tournament, having also defeated New Zealand earlier on.
Despite failing to secure a single victory in the previous edition of the World Cup, Afghanistan's potential was recognised by West Indies cricket legend Brian Lara, who predicted their semi-final appearance this year. Fittingly, the semi-final will be played at the Tarouba venue, which bears Lara's name.
"Everyone back home is so happy for this big achievement for us being in the semi-final," Rashid said.
"The only guy who put us in the semi-finals was Brian Lara, we proved that right. When we met him at a welcome party, I told him 'we won't let you down'."
Rahmanullah Gurbaz
has been instrumental in Afghanistan's success, amassing a team-high 281 runs. His three century partnerships with
Ibrahim Zadran
at the top of the order have laid the foundation for their victories.
On the bowling front,
Fazalhaq Farooqi
has been the standout performer with 16 wickets, closely followed by Rashid Khan with 14. The Afghan team will be counting on this duo to deliver another stunning performance in Trinidad.
If Afghanistan emerges victorious, they will face the winner of the other semi-final clash between 2007 champions India and defending champions England. The highly anticipated encounter between these two cricketing giants is set to take place in Guyana on Thursday.
"Being in the semi is big for us," Rashid added. "But we have to go with a very clear mind and know what we have done so far which has worked for us. Keep things simple for ourselves and make sure we enjoy that big occasion."
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