Two teams who are yet to taste success in the ICC World Cup 2019 will be squaring off at the Sophia Gardens in Cardiff. The teams we are talking about here are Afghanistan and South Africa. After facing 3 defeats in a row, Afghanistan are languishing at the bottom, whereas, South Africa having lost 3 matches and involved in an abandoned game are placed right above Afghanistan at the 9th position.
This would be the first-ever meeting between these two sides in One-day Internationals and nothing better than a crunch situation like this. With World Cup semi-final spot on the line, a loss here for either side will be curtains to their World Cup campaign for 2019.
South Africa: Semi-finalist in 1992, 1999, 2007, and 2015.
Afghanistan: Finished Sixth in the league stage in the 2015 edition.
Afghanistan vs South Africa
Venue: Sophia Gardens, Cardiff
Time: June 15, 06:00 PM
The story has been the same so far, another day where cloud covers are expected and rain will be halting the first half of the game. These conditions generally assist the seam bowlers who can do some early damage with the new ball.
Matches:27
Won batting first: 08 (33%)
Won batting second: 15 (63%)
Tied: 01 (4%)
Highest Total: 386/6 (50 Ov) by ENG vs BAN, June 08, 2019
Lowest Total: 136/10 (29.2 Ov) by SL vs NZ, June 01, 2019
300+ Totals: 11
400+ Totals: 00
Afghanistan squad to face South Africa:
Gulbadin Naib (c), Aftab Alam, Najibullah Zadran, Ikram Ali Khil, Hamid Hassan, Rahmat Shah, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Samiullah Shinwari, Dawlat Zadran, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Hazratullah Zazai, Asghar Afghan.
South Africa squad to face Afghanistan:
Faf du Plessis (c), Quinton de Kock (wk), Rassie van der Dussen, David Miller, Chris Morris, Imran Tahir, Lungi Ngidi, Hashim Amla, Andile Phehlukwayo, Aiden Markram, JP Duminy, Tabraiz Shamsi, Dwaine Pretorius, Beuran Hendricks, Kagiso Rabada.
Afghanistan: Mohammad Nabi, Hamid Hassan, Aftab Alam, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Gulbadin Naib, Hazratullah Zazai, Noor Ali Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Rashid Khan, Asghar Afghan, Ikram Ali khil.
South Africa: Hashim Amla, Faf du Plessis, David Miller, Aiden Markram, Rassie van der Dussen, Quinton de Kock, Andile Phehlukwayo, Chris Morris, Beuran Hendricks, Kagiso Rabada, Imran Tahir.