South Africa will try to avoid an upset when they take on Afghanistan in match no-3 of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 on Friday, February 21. The match will be played at the National Bank Stadium, Karachi. Both teams are in Group B, which also has Australia and England. Top two teams from each group will qualify to the semifinal. So every game carries significant stakes. Even a single defeat can leave the teams playing the catch up game.
Also Read: AFG vs SA Betting Tips
Team Form
Afghanistan’s last competitive game before heading to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy 2025 was a two-match test series against Zimbabwe, which Afghanistan won 1-0. Afghanistan also played a three-game ODI series against the same opponent prior to the test matches, with Afghanistan winning 2-0. Afghanistan also played a three-game ODI series against South Africa in September 2024. The Asian outfit won the series, against all Odds, 2-1.
South Africa, on the other hand, endured a tough run-in to the tournament. The Proteas played in the Tri-Nation tournament against New Zealand and Pakistan and ended up losing both the matches. But it’s worth highlighting that South Africa were without a host of superstars in that series, which means, their form shouldn’t be taken as a token of their capabilities in this format.
Afghanistan vs South Africa Pitch Report, Toss Impact
Pitch Report: The pitch at the National Stadium Karachi favors batters in general. The surface is flat with little or no seam movement for the new ball bowlers. It all depends on the quality of the bowlers and also on the line and length. However, spinners are likely to pose trouble for the batsmen, especially when the ball gets old.
Toss Impact: The playing conditions are likely to remain the same throughout the match. So toss should have little or no impact on the game. Batting should remain more or less the same for the entire match.
Afghanistan vs South Africa: Karachi Weather Report
Weather Report: As per weather report. there’s 10% chance of rain in Karachi on Friday, February 21. But the match should get completed and with a winner at the end of the day. The maximum temperature is likely to be around 30°C, while the humidity level is likely to be around 42%.
South Africa vs Afghanistan Team News
South Africa Team News:
- South Africa are without two key players for this 50-over showpiece event.
- Fast bowler Anrich Nortje had to pull out after failing to recover from an injury.
- Bowling all-rounder Gerald Coetzee is also out of the tournament due to an injury.
Afghanistan Team News:
- Afghanistan will be without two key players for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
- Allah Ghazanfar has been ruled out due to an injury.
- Naveen-ul-haq, one of the best white-ball bowler, has retired from one-day cricket.
Players to watch out for in South Africa vs Afghanistan match
- Heinrich Klaasen: South Africa wicket-keeper is arguably most destructive batter in the whole world. He can take the game away from the opponents in a matter of few overs. The 33-year-old should be in your SA vs BAN Dream11 fantasy cricket teams.
- Fazalhaq Farooqi: Afghanistan fast bowler Fazalhaq Farooqi is a bowling phenomena. He is lethal when it comes to the new ball. South African batsmen will have to be on their top game in the first fe overs.
- Rashid Khan: He needs no introduction at all. Rashid Khan is a global cricket icon these days, Afghanistan’s best player in all formats. He is a no-nonsense option to have in SA vs BAN Dream11 fantasy cricket teams.
- Marco Jansen: South Africa’s lanky all-rounder is another player who can make a telling impact in this game. He is a solid lower-order batter and an effective bowler.
AFG vs BAN Expected Playing XIs
Afghanistan Probable Starting XI vs South Africa:
Ibrahim Zadran
Rahmanullah Gurbaz
Rahmat Shah
Hashmatullah Shahidi
Azmatullah Omarzai
Gulbadin Naib
Mohammad Nabi
Rashid Khan
Noor Ahmad
Naveed Zadran
Fazalhaq Farooqi
South Africa Probable Starting XI vs Afghanistan:
Temba Bavuma
Tony de Zorzi/Ryan Rickleton
Tristan Stubbs
Aiden Markram
Heinrich Klaasen
David Miller
Wiaan Mulder
Keshav Maharaj
Kagiso Rabada
Marco Jansen
Tabraiz Shamsi
Afghanistan vs South Africa full squads for ICC Champions Trophy 2025
Afghanistan Squad: Afghanistan’s CT squad: Hashmatullah Shahidi (capt), Ibrahim Zadran, Ikram Alikhil (wk), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah (vice-capt), Azmatullah Omarzai, Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Fareed Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Nangeyalia Kharote, Naveed Zadran, Noor Ahmad
South Africa Squad: Temba Bavuma (c), Tony de Zorzi, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs, Rassie van der Dussen, Corbin Bosch
AFG vs SA Dream11 Fantasy Cricket Teams
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