Klaasen, Stubbs Out! Bavuma Wins Toss as South Africa Bats First vs Afghanistan
South Africa’s captain, Temba Bavuma, won the toss. He picked to bat first against Afghanistan in the exciting Champions Trophy opener at Karachi Stadium, Pakistan. South Africa will miss Heinrich Klaasen and Tristan Stubbs. Klaasen is out because of elbow discomfort.
Afghanistan, under Hashmatullah Shahidi, has a strong team. Key players include Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Rashid Khan, and Mohammad Nabi. Afghanistan plans to use spin to their advantage. They want to take on the Proteas by making the most of Karachi’s conditions.
Afghanistan vs South Africa: Playing XIs
South Africa Playing XI:
- Ryan Rickelton (wk)
- Tony de Zorzi
- Temba Bavuma (c)
- Rassie van der Dussen
- Aiden Markram
- David Miller
- Wiaan Mulder
- Marco Jansen
- Keshav Maharaj
- Kagiso Rabada
- Lungi Ngidi
Afghanistan Playing XI:
- Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk)
- Ibrahim Zadran
- Sediqullah Atal
- Rahmat Shah
- Hashmatullah Shahidi (c)
- Azmatullah Omarzai
- Gulbadin Naib
- Mohammad Nabi
- Rashid Khan
- Noor Ahmad
- Fazalhaq Farooqi
Captains’ Reactions After Toss
Hashmatullah Shahidi (Afghanistan Captain):
“If we had won the toss, we also wanted to bat first. Toss is not in our hands. We can play good cricket. There are a lot of things. We have played quality cricket against them in Sharjah. Hopefully, we do well and beat them. This wicket should suit our spinners as well. I will be more happy if we start well. We need to pick up wickets with the new ball and take that momentum to the middle overs. I will be happy if we do this and restrict them.”
Temba Bavuma (South Africa Captain):
“We will bat first. This wicket looks a bit different from what we have been experiencing here in Pakistan. We can’t be sure how it will react, so we need to assess it first. Runs on the board would be the key here. Hopefully, we can get a competitive score on the board. We have a lot of confidence in the bowling attack as they have lacked consistency, but they have been our strength. Today, we have gone for a lone spinner in (Tabraiz) Shamsi, and the rest are seamers. We will have to assess and see what is a good score, a bit tricky to say now.”
Match Expectations and Key Players to Watch
With both teams aiming for a strong start, South Africa will rely on Bavuma, Markram, and Rabada to set the tone. Afghanistan’s spin duo, Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmad, will aim to take advantage of the conditions. The first few overs could prove crucial in determining the game’s momentum.
