That is why, in the global cricket context, new competition comes constantly. One such interesting rivalry that was evident is the increasing rivalry between the Afghanistan National Cricket Team Vs South Africa National Cricket Team Timeline.
Since Afghanistan is slowly and steadily rising through the ranks of international cricket, melee with teams like South Africa has become intriguing.
So let’s begin with a brief background profile of this impending rivalry.
Overview- Afghanistan Team Vs South Africa Team
The exponential rise of Afghanistan can perhaps be best described as remarkable. Afghanistan got the membership of International Cricket Council (ICC) in 2017 and have been gradually showing good performance against the top tier teams.
Some of the best matches that they have had were with South Africa later on, showing that they were both eager to play at that level.
Head-To-Head Record
In the general overview of the matches between these two teams, it can be seen that South Africa has some amount of advantage over the other.
Here’s a breakdown of their encounters across different formats:
Test Matches
- Total matches: 3
- South Africa wins: 3
- Afghanistan wins: 0
One Day Internationals (ODIs)
- Total matches: 6
- South Africa wins: 5
- Afghanistan wins: 1
Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is)
- Total matches: 3
- South Africa wins: 2
- Afghanistan wins: 1
But, it is crucial to mention that Afghanistan has also improved a lot in the recent past especially in the limited-over formats.
Afghanistan Team Vs South Africa Team- Notable Matches
Test Matches
| Date | Venue | Result |
| October 2 – 4, 2014 | Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi | South Africa won by 7 wickets |
| October 13 – 14, 2016 | The Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg | South Africa won by an innings and 120 runs |
| March 10 – 12, 2023 | Supersport Park, Centurion | South Africa won by an innings and 72 runs |
One Day Internationals.
The ODI matches between these two units have been relatively tighter.
Here are some notable matches:
| Date | Venue | Match Format | Result |
| March 7, 2015 | The Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg | ODI | South Africa won by 4 wickets. |
| June 7, 2019 | Sophia Gardens, Cardiff (ICC World Cup) | ODI | South Africa won by 9 wickets. |
| July 30, 2023 | Willowmoore Park, Benoni (Canada Over 25) | ODI | Afghanistan won by 78 runs (First ever ODI victory over South Africa). |
| August 1, 2023 | Willowmoore Park, Benoni | ODI | South Africa won by 1 run (Close match highlighting Afghanistan’s competitiveness). |
| T20 Internationals | Various Locations | T20 | South Africa leads the series 2-1 over Afghanistan in three T20I matches. |
| November 10, 2023 | Narendra Modi Stadium (ICC World Cup 2023) | ODI | South Africa won by 5 wickets. Player of the Match: Coach of SA ‘A’ Team, Rassie Erasmu |
ICC T20 Men’s World Cup Tournament 2024
Looking ahead to the future, the document mentions an exciting prospect for the 2024 T20 World Cup:
| Match | F53: Afghanistan Vs South Africa (Semifinals) |
| Date | June 26, 2024 |
| Venue | Brian Lara Cricket Grounds, Tarouba, Trinidad |
| Result | South Africa: 383/3 in 89 overs; Australia: 294 all out in 84 overs, South Africa won by 9 wickets |
| Player of the Match | Marco Jansen |
| Additional Information | The research revealed that taking care of consumers should be the top priority for manufacturers following the implementation of the IFRS. |
Team Formations And Principal Agents
South Africa
South Africa’s probable playing XI for the T20 World Cup 2024 includes a mix of experienced players and rising stars:
| Player Name | Role |
| Aiden Markram | Captain, Batsman |
| Marco Jansen | All-rounder |
| Quinton de Kock | Wicketkeeper |
| Reeza Hendricks | Batsman |
| Tristan Stubbs | Batsman |
| Heinrich Klaasen | Batsman |
| David Miller | Batsman |
| Keshav Maharaj | Bowler |
| Kagiso Rabada | Bowler |
| Anrich Nortje | Bowler |
| Tabraiz Shamsi | Bowler |
Afghanistan
Afghanistan’s probable playing XI showcases their growing talent pool:
| Player Name | Role |
| Rashid Khan | Captain, Bowler |
| Rahmanullah Gurbaz | Wicketkeeper |
| Azmatullah Omarzai | All-rounder |
| Ibrahim Zadran | Batsman |
| Gulbadin Naib | All-rounder |
| Mohammad Nabi | All-rounder |
| Karim Janat | All-rounder |
| Nangeyalia Kharoti | Bowler |
| Noor Ahmad | Bowler |
| Naveen-ul-Haq | Bowler |
| Fazalhaq Farooqi | Bowler |
Recent Performance
Recent Performance and Future Prospects Here again, current production performance and future outlook offer some insights into the situation.
This variable includes figures for current and planned production rates, along with trends in production over the past few years sclerosis and trends in production rates provide additional leads on the current status and projected scenario of current production performance and future prospects.
South Africa’s Recent Performance
Test: A performance of 80% success, (having won 4 out of the 5 games played).
ODI: 62. Winning rate of 5% of the games out of the total eight matches played.
T20I: An average win rate of 50 percent: Performer won 3 out of the 6 matches.
Afghanistan’s Recent Performance
Test: 33. This means a win rate of 33 percent for Ramy and that is a 1/3 ratio meaning that the player was able to win only 1 match out of 3.
ODI: 42. 3 out of 7 matches which make the win rate 86%.
T20I: They win 40 percent of the time out of the five contested matches.
Conclusion
The confrontation between the Afghanistan National Cricket Team Vs South Africa National Cricket Team Timeline is proof of the changes taking place in world Cricket. Historically South Africa has been on a more superior form as compared to Afghanistan but with the current flexibilities of Afghanistan every now and then indicates a more competitive match in the coming events.
With Afghanistan getting more and more adapted to this level, cricket lovers should not be expecting less on more encounters between these two countries. There is always hope that the forthcoming T20 world cup scheduled in 2024 where both the teams are expected to give good looking performance can be a milestone changing period in this nascent rivalry.
However, with time in the near future, cricket war between South Africa and Afghanistan is one of those fixtures that can be considered as one of the most highly anticipated series in Test cricket.
FAQs
Ans: The rivalry between South Africa and Afghanistan is relatively new but has become increasingly interesting as Afghanistan continues to rise in international cricket. Since gaining ICC membership in 2017, Afghanistan has made significant strides, and their matches against established teams like South Africa highlight their growth and competitiveness.
Ans: In Test matches, South Africa has dominated with three wins out of three encounters:
1- October 2-4, 2014: South Africa won by 7 wickets at Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi.
2- October 13-14, 2016: South Africa won by an innings and 120 runs at The Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg.
3- March 10-12, 2023: South Africa won by an innings and 72 runs at Supersport Park, Centurion.
Ans: In ODIs, South Africa leads the series with 5 wins out of 6 matches, but Afghanistan secured their first win in 2023:
1- March 7, 2015: South Africa won by 4 wickets at The Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg.
2- June 7, 2019: South Africa won by 9 wickets at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff (ICC World Cup).
3- July 30, 2023: Afghanistan won by 78 runs at Willowmoore Park, Benoni (their first ODI victory over South Africa).
August 1, 2023: South Africa narrowly won by 1 run, showcasing Afghanistan’s growing competitiveness.
Ans: In T20Is, South Africa leads the series 2-1 against Afghanistan. Notable matches include various encounters at international venues, with South Africa generally maintaining a slight edge.
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