The ICC Cricket World Cup continues in Ahmedabad on Friday in what is now a dead rubber between a South Africa team who are preparing for the semi-final next week and Afghanistan, whose promising campaign will end here.
South Africa have had an excellent tournament so far and will face Australia in the last four next week but will want to go there off the back of a win. Afghanistan head home after this match but will want to leave with a positive result too.
Afghanistan
This has been a wonderful tournament for Afghanistan and there were fine margins between them getting a semi-final spot and not. If they had held onto the catch which Glenn Maxwell had presented them in that incredible match against Australia earlier in the week they would be going into this contest with their destiny in their own hands. They fumbled that chance though and that, combined with the huge margin New Zealand win on Thursday means Afghanistan won’t be in the last four.
Afghanistan have been very good in this tournament. The longer the tournament has gone on the better their batting has got and they have been competitive with the ball in the majority of matches. They have eased past the likes of Pakistan, England and Sri Lanka in the competition and just needed one or two fine margins to go their way and they would make it through. If they bat well here there is no reason why they can’t conclude with a win.
South Africa
This has been a very good competition for South Africa so far too. That didn’t necessarily look like being the case when they slipped up against the Netherlands early on in the tournament but their only other defeat in eight matches was against India last time out, when they were extremely well beaten and actually exposed a little. This match means nothing to them in terms of the league table and things but they would feel better about themselves if they go into that semi-final off the back of a win.
When South Africa have batted first in this tournament they have delivered the goods and some, however when they have chased they have fluffed their lines on two of the three occasions, once quite badly, and literally fell over the line the other time, so while this has been a positive campaign for the Proteas, there are still questions for them to answer. After a mess of a batting showing last time out they will want their batters to find some confidence here.
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Team News
Afghanistan are not likely to tinker with their side too much in this match but depending on the conditions they could make a change to their bowling attack. Fazalhaq Farooqi could come in should another seamer be needed.
South Africa had an injury concern with Lungi Ngidi during the India match so it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense for him to play in a dead rubber. Kagiso Rabada usually gets a rest when matches don’t mean much too.
Betting
As ever with a dead rubber the first starting point is second guessing who will have the more motivation in this match and I suspect it will be Afghanistan. This has been such a good campaign for them that to end it with that loss to Australia and then to South Africa would leave a bit of a sour taste in their mouth. I would imagine South Africa will make a few changes but even if they don’t then six weeks into a tournament the natural thing to do would be to not push it and avoid an injury which would keep them out of the final week.
If South Africa are slightly off it, even if that is only subconsciously, then Afghanistan have shown they can be dangerous but even if South Africa fancy the job, if Afghanistan bat first and put a score on the board we have seen throughout this tournament that South Africa are half as good with the bat when chasing as they are when setting a score and with Afghanistan just having Australia 91-7 there is no reason why the Proteas wouldn’t be in a similar position. This isn’t a match I’m desperate to get too involved in but the 3/1 on Afghanistan feels a shade too big.
Tips
Back Afghanistan to beat South Africa for a 3/10 stake at 4.00 with Bet365
