PROTEAS PRIMED FOR 'WORLD-CLASS' AFGHANISTAN SPINNERS IN T20 WORLD CUP SEMI

Both the Proteas and Afghanistan will be seeking a maiden appearance in an ICC Men’s World Cup final when they meet in the first semi-final of the T20 World Cup 2024 in Trinidad and Tobago overnight.

The Proteas have played in seven previous semi-finals across the white-ball formats, but have yet to cross over to the promised land.

It will be Afghanistan’s first World Cup semi-final after only making their debut at major ICC tournaments 14 years ago at the World T20 in the Caribbean.

The Proteas boast an unblemished record with seven consecutive victories enroute to the semi-final and remain on course to become the first team to win the T20 World Cup unbeaten.

Afghanistan, meanwhile, suffered a heavy defeat to co-hosts West Indies in the group stages before also losing to India in the Super Eight’s, but managed historic victories over New Zealand and Australia to ensure their passage to the semi-finals.

“There's no point in worrying about what other teams had to do to get to a semi-final. Ultimately your journey is your journey, right?” Proteas white-ball coach Rob Walter said.

“So, you got to do it the way you have to. Ours meant that we had to win seven games in a row in T20 to get to a semi-final. I'm super proud that we were able to do it and here we are.

“It's never just another game. I think that sort of rhetoric around semi-finals is always untrue, or people trying to downplay the occasion. Certainly, we don't do that. It is a semi-final of a World Cup, and we appreciate that and we're looking forward to it.”

Walter has also seen enough cricket at this T20 World Cup where the co-hosts USA beat Pakistan and numerous other surprise results to not underestimate the Afghans.

“I think they are a well-rounded team. Gone are the days where there is an area of the team that is not strong. They wouldn't be in a semi-final if that was the case,” Walter said.

“You're talking about some world-class spinners. Everyone knows about the world-class spinners led by Rashid Khan. I mean, he's a top-class T20 spinner anywhere in the world. So, we know about that. But as I said, it's not a one-man show anymore. That's for sure.

“The opening pairing, statistically, have been outstanding in this tournament alone and so yeah, I mean they're a well-rounded side with great experience, played some very good cricket in the last couple of games to actually make a semi-final so yeah, they're there for a reason.”

He is also not too concerned with the Proteas’ unenviable record in World Cup semi-finals and the trauma associated with those defeats.

“The near misses in the past, they belong to the people who missed them. To be honest, this team is a different team,” he said.

“We own whatever is ours to own. And so, our nearest reflection point is this tournament where we've managed to get over the line. So that's what we think about.”

The one area of concern for the Proteas heading into this semi-final is the out-of-form Reeza Hendricks, but Walter believes the Joburg Super Kings opener is primed for a big score.

"Reeza's form doesn't bother me at all. He's a quality cricketer. It was just, what, three and a half weeks ago that he scored a magnificent 80 against the West Indies, a man-alone performance really,” Walter said.

“Over the last year and a half, he's been unbelievable, even beyond that in T20 cricket to be fair. So, he's a wonderful cricketer and that good batsmen are just one shot away from contributing to the team and that's all we Interested in is giving him the freedom to do that.”

Walter was also philosophical about the prospect of this Proteas team finally winning a World Cup after all these years.

“Definitely it's always great to dream And I think everyone in South Africa dreams of the time when a trophy gets lifted,” he said.

“No doubt that will happen. Whether it's going to be this week, that remains to be seen. We're just going to try and play the best game of cricket that we can. And we still haven't played our best game yet.”

SQUADS FOR TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

South Africa squad: Aiden Markram (captain - Sunrisers Eastern Cape), Ottniel Baartman (Sunrisers Eastern Cape), Gerald Coetzee (Joburg Super Kings), Quinton de Kock (Durban's Super Giants), Bjorn Fortuin (Paarl Royals), Reeza Hendricks (Joburg Super Kings), Marco Jansen (Sunrisers Eastern Cape), Heinrich Klaasen (Durban's Super Giants), Keshav Maharaj (Durban's Super Giants), David Miller (Paarl Royals), Anrich Nortje (Pretoria Capitals), Kagiso Rabada (MI Cape Town), Ryan Rickelton (MI Cape Town), Tabraiz Shamsi (Paarl Royals), Tristan Stubbs (Sunrisers Eastern Cape). Travelling reserves: Nandre Burger (Joburg Super Kings), Lungi Ngidi (Paarl Royals).

Afghanistan squad: Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Azmatullah Omarzai, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Ishaq, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Karim Janat, Rashid Khan (captain - MI Cape Town), Nangyal Kharoti, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad (Durban’s Super Giants), Naveen-ul-Haq (Durban’s Super Giants), Fazalhaq Farooqi, Farid Ahmad Malik (Sunrisers Eastern Cape), Hazratullah Zazai. Travelling reserves: Sediq Atal, Saleem Safi. Zazai replaced Mujeeb Ur Rahman due to injury.

Time: Thursday, 2:30am (SA time)

MATCH OFFICIALS

Referee: Richie Richardson

On-field Umpires: Richard Illingworth and Nitin Menon

TV Umpire: Richard Kettleborough

Fourth Umpire: Ahsan Raza

Images: ICC/Getty