The big match inexperience of Afghanistan was evident as their batting line-up folded for just 56 runs thanks to fiery spells from pacers Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen in the powerplay and Tabraiz Shamsi’s spin. Proteas, on the other hand, have overcome a seven-game winless streak in the semifinals of any ICC Cricket World Cup, and are set to play either India or England in a historic final. Afghanistan skipper Rashid Khan expressed satisfaction with the team’s overall campaign, citing the success of seamers and spinners in this “great learning experience.”
At the post-match press conference after the game, captain Rashid remarked, “It was tough, tough for us as a team.” Though the circumstances prevented us from doing as we would have liked, we may have performed better. That’s the nature of Twenty20 cricket; you have to be prepared for everything. They bowled pretty well, in my opinion. I believe that the seamers’ excellent bowling contributed to our good results in this competition; you need strong beginnings. Although I believe Mujeeb’s injury was unfortunate, our seamers and even Nabi bowled really well with the new ball. As spinners, that made our jobs simpler.”
Although their middle-order batting lineup still needs improvement, the club is quite confident following their historic first-ever semifinal finish, according to the captain.
“We have had fun at this competition. We’ll take it if we have to play in the semifinals and lose against a superior team like Africa. For us, this is only the beginning; we are capable of defeating any opposition. All we have to do is continue with our procedures. For us, this has been a fantastic learning opportunity. Our belief is what we learn from the competitors. We are aware of our abilities; all we need to do is manage challenging circumstances and high pressure. To take the innings deep, considerable effort needs to be done, particularly in the middle.
As I previously stated, our squad is always growing, and while we have seen some success thus far, we will return to work harder, particularly in the batting area,” he continued.
Afghanistan chose to bat first after winning the toss. The Asian side was reduced to 28/6 by pacers Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen, though, who made them rue their choice. Despite several boundary attempts by captain Rashid Khan (8) and batsman Karim Janat (8) to mount a response, the Proteas folded Afghanistan for a mere 56 runs in 11.5 overs.
The two best bowlers for Proteas were Marco Jansen (3/16) and Tabraiz Shamsi (3/6). Anrich Nortje and Kagiso Rabada both claimed two wickets apiece.
Proteas lost de Kock in the run-chase. But in just 8.5 overs, SA was able to win thanks to Reeza Hendricks (29* in 25 balls, three fours, and a six) and captain Aiden Markram (23* in 21 balls, four boundaries).
With this victory, Proteas advanced to their first-ever World Cup final after going winless in seven ODI and T20I semifinal matches. In the semifinals, Afghanistan’s incredible and heroic run came to an end.
‘Player of the Match’ went to Jansen.
