The South Africa Cricket Team is going to be tough to beat at the ICC T20 World Cup 2022. For the past few years, the performance of the South African team has been mediocre at the ICC events but this time around the team looks very solid. The team is not full of match-winners but if the names on the list perform to their potential the South Africa Cricket Team can go all the way. Here is a look at their 3 most crucial players:&nbsp;



<h2>1) Kagiso Rabada will play for South Africa:&nbsp;</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://admin.icccricketschedule.com/uploads/2022/10/Kagiso-Rabada-min.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-95139"/><figcaption>IMG SRC: India Fantasy</figcaption></figure>



There is just one and only Kagiso Rabada. No one can replace KG! He bowls exceptionally well in the powerplay and is a beast in the death overs. His yorker and bouncers in the death overs seem to be laser-guided. Kagiso Rabada has been one of the most consistent players for the men in green. He bowls in tandem with Anrich Nortje and if they both find the rhythm, no one can stop the South Africa Cricket Team. Very few people know this but Kagiso Rabada can bat, he can easily be used as a number 8 option.



<h2>2) David Miller:&nbsp;</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://admin.icccricketschedule.com/uploads/2022/10/David-Miller-min-1024x576.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-95138"/><figcaption>IMG SRC: CSA</figcaption></figure>



David Miller has to show the seniority that his name holds. He wasn?t in his prime form from 2018 to 2021 but he found himself in 2022. He took the Gujarat Titans to an IPL victory by finishing games. He bats deep and if it is in his arc, it goes out of the park. His off-side game has improved too. He has now started hitting sixes over cover. &nbsp;



If Miller, De Kock, and Van Der Dussen can contribute, the batting unit of South Africa Cricket Team will get the job done. Miller holds a lot of experience. He has played top-flight cricket since 2011. It is about time; he makes use of it all. &nbsp;



<h2>3) Tabraiz Shamsi will play for South Africa:&nbsp;</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://admin.icccricketschedule.com/uploads/2022/10/Tabraiz-Shamsi-min.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-95140"/><figcaption>IMG SRC: Wisden</figcaption></figure>



Tabraiz Shamsi is the first-choice spinner of the South African team. The team also has Keshav Maharaj but Shammo, the magician will be starting for them. Shamsi is a nightmare of lefty batters. He beats the batters in flight. He has been playing freelance cricket across the globe and is very highly rated by the ICC. There are only a few spinners with the class and daring of Tabraiz Shamsi. He is also of the mindset that if you want wickets, you need to be brave enough to go for runs. &nbsp;



To know more go to<a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/england-cricket-team-3-important-players-at-the-icc-t20-world-cup-2022/" target="_blank" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/england-cricket-team-3-important-players-at-the-icc-t20-world-cup-2022/" rel="noreferrer noopener"> England Cricket Team: 3 Important Players at the ICC T20 World Cup 2022.</a>



Read more such articles at <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/australian-cricket-team-3-important-players-at-the-icc-t20-world-cup-2022/" target="_blank" data-type="post" data-id="95104" rel="noreferrer noopener">Australian Cricket Team: 3 Important Players at the ICC T20 World Cup 2022.</a>



To know more go to the<a href="https://cricket.co.za/" target="_blank" data-type="URL" data-id="https://cricket.co.za/" rel="noreferrer noopener"> official website of the South African Cricket Association.</a> &nbsp;

South Africa Cricket Team: 3 Most Important Players for ICC T20 World Cup 2022.&nbsp;

south-africa-cricket-team-3-most-important-players-for-icc-t20-world-cup-2022

The <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/reasons-why-virat-kohli-must-open/" data-type="link" data-id="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/reasons-why-virat-kohli-must-open/">ICC T20 World Cup 2024</a> will now host the Super 8 stage. 8 out of 20 participating teams have made it to this round. There will be two groups of four teams each in the Super 8, and two teams from either group will qualify for the semifinal. Group 1 has India, Australia, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh, while Group 2 has England, West Indies, <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/usa-vs-sa-dream11-prediction-south-africa-playing11-usa-playing11-t20-world-cup-2024-super-8-america-vs-south-africa-fantasy-team-sir-viv-richards-stadium-pitch-report/" data-type="link" data-id="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/usa-vs-sa-dream11-prediction-south-africa-playing11-usa-playing11-t20-world-cup-2024-super-8-america-vs-south-africa-fantasy-team-sir-viv-richards-stadium-pitch-report/">South Africa, and United States</a>. The first game will be played on June 19 between USA and South Africa.



As the competition has its top 8 teams, there has been a buzz around who will be the semi-finalists in this competition. Well, there are some top contenders, but nothing can be said as bigger teams have found it hard to get going. So, many former cricketers and cricket pundits are giving their opinions on who could be the four semi-finalists in the tournament. Amid that, the South African spinner <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keshav_Maharaj" data-type="link" data-id="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keshav_Maharaj">Keshav Maharaj</a>, who is part of the team and likely to be in action on Wednesday, comes up with his own prediction.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">T20 World Cup 2024: Keshav Maharaj predicts four semi-finalists of the tournament</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://admin.icccricketschedule.com/uploads/2024/06/Keshav-Maharaj-on-T20-World-Cup-2024-1024x534.webp" alt="" class="wp-image-135886" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Credit: Google</figcaption></figure>



South Africa have been on a roll and won four consecutive games to make it to the <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/t20-world-cup-2024-super-8-teams-and-key-matches-to-watch/" data-type="link" data-id="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/t20-world-cup-2024-super-8-teams-and-key-matches-to-watch/">Super 8</a>. They will be facing the co-host USA in the first game of the next round in Antigua. South Africa will be favourites heading into this game, but they can't write off USA, who beat teams like Pakistan and Canada. Meanwhile, in one of the videos shared by IPL franchise Rajasthan Royals, Keshav Maharaj was seen naming four teams who could play in the semi-finals of the ICC T20 World Cup 2024.



He picked South Africa, India, Australia, and West Indies. Maharaj said, ?I wanna go with South Africa, I think we built on what we produced last year in 50 over World Cup. I think India is obviously one of the huge favourites in T20 World Cup 2024 from a balanced perspective; they are probably one of the better balanced teams. I will never write off Australia, so I?ll say they are one of the top candidates. And the fourth one, I?m gonna say West Indies." Surprisingly, Maharaj didn't name the defending champions, England.



Jos Buttler and co. have done a decent job when they needed to win the last two games by a big margin. They did it and qualified. They have momentum and are playing a good brand of cricket. Afghanistan can be a surprise, as they have beaten New Zealand, and the conditions in West Indies suit their team more. So, it will be interesting to see which team will qualify, but one thing is sure: the pitches in West Indies are better, and we see more interesting games here in the Super 8 of the T20 World Cup 2024.



Also Read: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/reasons-why-virat-kohli-must-open/" data-type="link" data-id="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/reasons-why-virat-kohli-must-open/">3 Reasons why India must stick with Virat Kohli as opener in Super 8 despite his recent failures</a>

Keshav Maharaj picks semi-finalists of T20 World Cup 2024; leaves out England|Keshav Maharaj picks semi-finalists of T20 World Cup 2024; leaves out England

Keshav Maharaj picks semi-finalists of T20 World Cup 2024; leaves out England

maharaj-picks-t20-world-cup-2024-semi-finalists

The ongoing <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/t20-world-cup-2024-3-indians-to-retire/" data-type="link" data-id="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/t20-world-cup-2024-3-indians-to-retire/">ICC T20 World Cup 2024</a> is coming to an end. After 53 electrifying cricket matches played between the top 20 teams across the world at nine different venues, we have our first finalists. South Africa beat Afghanistan in the first semifinal to qualify for the finals, and they will face the winner of the second semifinal between <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/icc-t20i-player-rankings-updated-mens-t2oi-batting-and-bowling-rankings-travis-head-surpassed-sky/" data-type="link" data-id="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/icc-t20i-player-rankings-updated-mens-t2oi-batting-and-bowling-rankings-travis-head-surpassed-sky/">India and England.</a>



The grandfinal of the tournament is scheduled to take place on June 29 (Saturday) at Kensington Oval in Barbados. It has been a grand tournament, and for the first time, a total of 20 teams participated in the edition. Adding to that, the <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/icc-t20i-player-rankings-updated-mens-t2oi-batting-and-bowling-rankings-travis-head-surpassed-sky/" data-type="link" data-id="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/icc-t20i-player-rankings-updated-mens-t2oi-batting-and-bowling-rankings-travis-head-surpassed-sky/">International Cricket Council (ICC)</a> also tried to crack the US market to give this game more exposure. That's why, for the first time, an ICC event took place in the United States.



To some extent, this move has benefited and given a push to this game in the USA. However, the ICC has also announced a record-breaking sum of prize money for this tournament for every team, which is more than the previous tournaments. Here we will talk about the distribution of <a href="https://www.icc-cricket.com/tournaments/t20cricketworldcup/news/record-prize-money-declared-for-t20-world-cup-2024" data-type="link" data-id="https://www.icc-cricket.com/tournaments/t20cricketworldcup/news/record-prize-money-declared-for-t20-world-cup-2024">prize money in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024.</a>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">ICC T20 World Cup 2024: International Cricket Council announces a Record sum as Prize Money for all teams</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://admin.icccricketschedule.com/uploads/2024/06/T20-World-Cup-2024-Prize-Money-ICC-declared-record-breaking-money-for-the-teams-Winner-will-get-INR-20-Crore-1024x532.webp" alt="" class="wp-image-141699" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Credit: T20 World Cup 2022</figcaption></figure>



The ICC has announced a total of 11.5 million USD in prize money for the tournament, which is more than the double of the last edition (USD 5.6 million in 2022). This is more than the previous editions of the T20 World Cups. A total of 20 teams took part, and there is something for every team. It starts with the winner of the ICC T20 World Cup 2024.



The team that wins this tournament will receive a prize money of USD 2.45 million (approximately INR 20 crore), which is more than the previous editions. England won the tournament in 2022 and won 1.6 million USD (approximately 11 crore). Meanwhile, the runners-up will receive an amount of USD 1.28 million (approximately INR 8.8 crore).



<figure class="wp-block-table"><table><tbody><tr><td>Rank</td><td>Teams</td><td>Prize Money (in USD)</td></tr><tr><td>Winner</td><td>TBC</td><td>2.45 million</td></tr><tr><td>Runner-Up</td><td>TBC</td><td>1.28 million</td></tr><tr><td>Losing Semi-finalists</td><td>Afghanistan</td><td>787,500</td></tr><tr><td>Super 8 (5th to 8th)</td><td>Australia, United States, West Indies, Bangladesh</td><td>382,500</td></tr><tr><td>9th to 12th Places</td><td>New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, Sri Lanka</td><td>247,500</td></tr><tr><td>13th to 20th Places</td><td>Netherlands, Nepal, Uganda, PNG, Namibia, Oman, Canada, Ireland</td><td>225,000</td></tr></tbody></table><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Note: Every win will earn an additional amount of USD 31,154</figcaption></figure>



The two teams that are losing semifinalists will receive an amount of USD 787,500 each. Australia, the United States, West Indies, and Bangladesh exited the T20 World Cup 2024 in the Super 8, and all four teams will get USD 382,500 each. Meanwhile, the teams finishing between the 9th and 12th spots will get USD 247,500 each.



These teams are New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, and Sri Lanka. These four teams finished third in their groups during the first round. Then, the remaining eight teams that finished the tournament from 13th to 20th will receive a prize money of USD 225,000. Meanwhile, every win at any stage of the tournament, will earn an additional cash prize of USD 31,154. You can see the complete details in the table above.



Also Read: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/t20-world-cup-2024-3-indians-to-retire/" data-type="link" data-id="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/t20-world-cup-2024-3-indians-to-retire/">3 Indian Players who might announce T20I retirement after T20 World Cup 2024</a>

T20 World Cup 2024 Prize Money ICC declared record-breaking money for the teams; Winner will get INR 20 Crore|T20 World Cup 2024 Prize Money ICC declared record-breaking money for the teams; Winner will get INR 20 Crore|

T20 World Cup 2024 Prize Money: ICC declared record-breaking money for the teams; Winner will get INR 20 Crore

t20-world-cup-2024-money-distribution

Temba Bavuma-led South Africa completed a successful 2-0 series whitewash versus Sri Lanka at home and this series victory has given them a major boost in their hopes of qualifying for the final of the 2023-25 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. 
The recent win of the Proteas over the Sri Lankans has seen them displace defending-champions Australia from the 1st position of the overall standings as the Temba Bavuma-led team now have a PCT of 63.33 next to their name following their sixth Test victory our of 10 contests. The Kangaroos on the other hand have dropped down to the 2nd place with a PCT of 60.71.
Two-time runners-up of WTC, the Indian Cricket Team are at the third spot with a PCT of 57.29 following their recent defeat in the Adelaide Test-Match versus the Mighty Australians three days ago. 
Dhananjaya de Silva-led Sri Lanka's series defeat versus the Proteas has made things difficult for them in terms of securing a spot in the WTC Final but they are still alive in the race to qualify for the title-deciding clash slated to be played at the Lord's Cricket Stadium from the 11th of June of 2025. The Sri Lankans are still positioned at the fourth place and their PCT has reduced to 45.45.
<table style="width: 642px; height: 200px;">
<thead>
<tr style="height: 20px;">
<td style="width: 42.2292px; text-align: center; height: 20px;" title="Position">Pos</td>
<td style="width: 132.656px; text-align: center; height: 20px;" title="Team">Team</td>
<td style="width: 91.5208px; text-align: center; height: 20px;" title="Matches Played">Matches</td>
<td style="width: 51.0521px; text-align: center; height: 20px;" title="Matches Won">Won</td>
<td style="width: 46.5417px; text-align: center; height: 20px;" title="Matches Lost">Lost</td>
<td style="width: 71.2917px; text-align: center; height: 20px;" title="Matches Drawn">Drawn</td>
<td style="width: 37.1979px; text-align: center; height: 20px;" title="Matches Abandonded">NR</td>
<td style="width: 67.4271px; text-align: center; height: 20px;" title="Total Points">Points</td>
<td style="width: 77.4167px; text-align: center; height: 20px;" title="Percentage of Points">PCT</td>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 20px;">
<td style="width: 42.2292px; text-align: center; height: 20px;">1</td>
<td style="width: 132.656px; text-align: center; height: 20px;">South Africa</td>
<td style="width: 91.5208px; text-align: center; height: 20px;">10</td>
<td style="width: 51.0521px; text-align: center; height: 20px;">6</td>
<td style="width: 46.5417px; text-align: center; height: 20px;">3</td>
<td style="width: 71.2917px; text-align: center; height: 20px;">1</td>
<td style="width: 37.1979px; text-align: center; height: 20px;">0</td>
<td style="width: 67.4271px; text-align: center; height: 20px;">76</td>
<td style="width: 77.4167px; text-align: center; height: 20px;">63.330</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 20px;">
<td style="width: 42.2292px; text-align: center; height: 20px;">2</td>
<td style="width: 132.656px; text-align: center; height: 20px;">Australia</td>
<td style="width: 91.5208px; text-align: center; height: 20px;">14</td>
<td style="width: 51.0521px; text-align: center; height: 20px;">9</td>
<td style="width: 46.5417px; text-align: center; height: 20px;">4</td>
<td style="width: 71.2917px; text-align: center; height: 20px;">1</td>
<td style="width: 37.1979px; text-align: center; height: 20px;">0</td>
<td style="width: 67.4271px; text-align: center; height: 20px;">102</td>
<td style="width: 77.4167px; text-align: center; height: 20px;">60.710</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 20px;">
<td style="width: 42.2292px; text-align: center; height: 20px;">3</td>
<td style="width: 132.656px; text-align: center; height: 20px;">India</td>
<td style="width: 91.5208px; text-align: center; height: 20px;">16</td>
<td style="width: 51.0521px; text-align: center; height: 20px;">9</td>
<td style="width: 46.5417px; text-align: center; height: 20px;">6</td>
<td style="width: 71.2917px; text-align: center; height: 20px;">1</td>
<td style="width: 37.1979px; text-align: center; height: 20px;">0</td>
<td style="width: 67.4271px; text-align: center; height: 20px;">110</td>
<td style="width: 77.4167px; text-align: center; height: 20px;">57.290</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 20px;">
<td style="width: 42.2292px; text-align: center; height: 20px;">4</td>
<td style="width: 132.656px; text-align: center; height: 20px;">Sri Lanka</td>
<td style="width: 91.5208px; text-align: center; height: 20px;">11</td>
<td style="width: 51.0521px; text-align: center; height: 20px;">5</td>
<td style="width: 46.5417px; text-align: center; height: 20px;">6</td>
<td style="width: 71.2917px; text-align: center; height: 20px;">0</td>
<td style="width: 37.1979px; text-align: center; height: 20px;">0</td>
<td style="width: 67.4271px; text-align: center; height: 20px;">60</td>
<td style="width: 77.4167px; text-align: center; height: 20px;">45.450</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 20px;">
<td style="width: 42.2292px; text-align: center; height: 20px;">5</td>
<td style="width: 132.656px; text-align: center; height: 20px;">England</td>
<td style="width: 91.5208px; text-align: center; height: 20px;">21</td>
<td style="width: 51.0521px; text-align: center; height: 20px;">11</td>
<td style="width: 46.5417px; text-align: center; height: 20px;">9</td>
<td style="width: 71.2917px; text-align: center; height: 20px;">1</td>
<td style="width: 37.1979px; text-align: center; height: 20px;">0</td>
<td style="width: 67.4271px; text-align: center; height: 20px;">114</td>
<td style="width: 77.4167px; text-align: center; height: 20px;">45.240</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 20px;">
<td style="width: 42.2292px; text-align: center; height: 20px;">6</td>
<td style="width: 132.656px; text-align: center; height: 20px;">New Zealand</td>
<td style="width: 91.5208px; text-align: center; height: 20px;">13</td>
<td style="width: 51.0521px; text-align: center; height: 20px;">6</td>
<td style="width: 46.5417px; text-align: center; height: 20px;">7</td>
<td style="width: 71.2917px; text-align: center; height: 20px;">0</td>
<td style="width: 37.1979px; text-align: center; height: 20px;">0</td>
<td style="width: 67.4271px; text-align: center; height: 20px;">69</td>
<td style="width: 77.4167px; text-align: center; height: 20px;">44.230</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 20px;">
<td style="width: 42.2292px; text-align: center; height: 20px;">7</td>
<td style="width: 132.656px; text-align: center; height: 20px;">Pakistan</td>
<td style="width: 91.5208px; text-align: center; height: 20px;">10</td>
<td style="width: 51.0521px; text-align: center; height: 20px;">4</td>
<td style="width: 46.5417px; text-align: center; height: 20px;">6</td>
<td style="width: 71.2917px; text-align: center; height: 20px;">0</td>
<td style="width: 37.1979px; text-align: center; height: 20px;">0</td>
<td style="width: 67.4271px; text-align: center; height: 20px;">40</td>
<td style="width: 77.4167px; text-align: center; height: 20px;">33.330</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 20px;">
<td style="width: 42.2292px; text-align: center; height: 20px;">8</td>
<td style="width: 132.656px; text-align: center; height: 20px;">Bangladesh</td>
<td style="width: 91.5208px; text-align: center; height: 20px;">12</td>
<td style="width: 51.0521px; text-align: center; height: 20px;">4</td>
<td style="width: 46.5417px; text-align: center; height: 20px;">8</td>
<td style="width: 71.2917px; text-align: center; height: 20px;">0</td>
<td style="width: 37.1979px; text-align: center; height: 20px;">0</td>
<td style="width: 67.4271px; text-align: center; height: 20px;">45</td>
<td style="width: 77.4167px; text-align: center; height: 20px;">31.250</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 20px;">
<td style="width: 42.2292px; text-align: center; height: 20px;">9</td>
<td style="width: 132.656px; text-align: center; height: 20px;">West Indies</td>
<td style="width: 91.5208px; text-align: center; height: 20px;">11</td>
<td style="width: 51.0521px; text-align: center; height: 20px;">2</td>
<td style="width: 46.5417px; text-align: center; height: 20px;">7</td>
<td style="width: 71.2917px; text-align: center; height: 20px;">2</td>
<td style="width: 37.1979px; text-align: center; height: 20px;">0</td>
<td style="width: 67.4271px; text-align: center; height: 20px;">32</td>
<td style="width: 77.4167px; height: 20px; text-align: center;">24.240</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
 The 5th day of the 2nd Test-Match between Sri Lanka and the South Africans started off with the visitors having the advantage. Dhananjaya de Silva &amp; CO needed a total of 143 runs to save the series while the home team needed five-wickets to seal the whitewash. However, set batters Dhananjaya de Silva (50 runs) and wicketkeeper batter Kusal Mendis (46 runs) put their team in an advantageous situation and pushed the Proteas on the backfoot. 
However, South Africa's elite slow-left-arm-orthodox spinner Keshav Maharaj had some other plans and he single handedly executed the comeback for his team as his fifer helped the hosts to inflict an all out on the Sri Lankans for a score of 238 runs and they secured a victory in the 2nd contest by a margin of 109 runs. 
The Proteas had also secured a comfortable victory in the opening contest of the series by a margin of 233 runs which also witnessed the Sri Lankans getting bundled out for an embarrassing score of 42 runs in their 1st inning. 
Temba Bavuma and his men will now be taking part in a two-match Home Test-Series versus Pakistan and they will be looking to seal yet another comfortable series win. That series will kick off from the 26th of December in the city of Centurion The Sri Lankans on the other hand will host the Mighty Australians in January of next year for a home two-match Test-Series.
Do Read: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/More-problems-for-India-Australia-set-to-be-boosted-by%E2%80%A6./" target="_blank" rel="noopener">More problems for India! Australia set to be boosted by….</a>

South African team celebrating their win vs Sri Lanka | Image: Getty Images

South Africa displaces Australia at the top of the WTC Standings following their win vs Sri Lanka | Updated WTC Points Table

south-africa-displaces-australia-at-the-top-of-the-wtc-standings-following-their-win-vs-sri-lanka-updated-wtc-points-table

It's really hard to imagine Pakistan's test team without the presence of Shaheen Shah Afridi and it's a situation which is really hard to occur. However, a shocking call was taken by the National Team's selectors and despite being in excellent form with the ball, elite Pakistani seamer was not considered for selection in Pakistan's two-match Test-Series verus the South Africans.
Afridi delivered am exceptional performance in the One Day International series versus the same opposition, dismissing the highest number of batters (7) and his role with the ball was crucial in his team's success. 
But despite all this, the pacer wasn't even considered for selection for the two-match Test-Series versus the Proteas. According to some news reports, prior to the squad-announcement of the Shaheens, a selector reportedly asked the 24-year-old to take part in a practice Four-day match before the commencement of the Test-Series. 
Due to some personal reasons, Shaheen wasn't able to comply with the instructions of the Pakistani selectors. This was comprehended as "disobedience" by the selectors which led to his eventual exclusion from the Test team. Notably, a similar instruction was given to former skipper Babar Azam too, who also didn't comply with the instructions but was still included in the Test team.
According to some inside sources of Pakistani Men's National Cricket Team, it's believed that the dominating behavior of a certain selector has caused a feeling of dissatisfaction among the national team players. The selector, who recently announced his retirement from Cricket, reportedly maintains a dominating attitude even towards former players. It's believed that the selector is none other than Aleem Dar who was drafted in the selection committee just a few months back. 
According to some close sources of Shaheen, the pacer still has the passion in him to represent Pakistan in the longest format of the game and he was pretty disappointed by the selectors' decision to exclude him from the Test Team for the South Africa series. 
Post the conclusion of the One-Day International series, the 24-year-old even gave the offer to stay in South Africa for the upcoming Test-Series if the national team selectora felt the need to include him in the squad, but no initiative was taken to select him. 
The Shan Masood-led team desperately felt the absence of a left-handed pacer and this was pretty evident in the Centurion Test-match versus the Proteas. Another left-arm seamer Mir Hamza, who is known for his speed and variations, was not considered for selection too. 
Talking about Shaheen Shah Afridi again, the reason for not selecting him was given as workload management but shockingly, he was allowed to participate in the upcoming edition of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). He is a part of the team of Fortune Barishal and the 24-year-old is anticipated to play in five contests for the franchise.
Do Read: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/watch-irfan-pathan-and-sanjay-manjrekar-get-involved-in-a-heated-argument-over-the-run-out-of-yashasvi-jaiswal-on-live-tv/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Watch:Irfan Pathan and Sanjay Manjrekar get involved in a heated argument over the run out of Yashasvi Jaiswal on live TV</a>

Shaheen Shah Afridi of Pakistan celebrates the dismissal of Australia's Mitchell Starc | Image: AFP

Shaheen Shah Afridi was shockingly not considered for selection in Pakistan's Test Team for the South Africa series and Aleem Dar is reportedly considered the main reason behind his exclusion from the team.

Shaheen Afridi neglected the orders of the selectors and this led to his exclusion from the Test Team

shaheen-afridi-neglected-the-orders-of-the-selectors-and-this-led-to-his-exclusion-from-the-test-team

The South African Men's National Cricket Team, under the leadership of Temba Bavuma became the first team to secure the 2023-25 WTC cycle Final berth as they triumphed over Shan Masood-led Pakistan in the first Test-Match at Centurion on Sunday, 29th of December. 
After struggling at 99-8 in the run chase of 148 runs, the home side cross the finish line thanks to a magnificent partnership of the ninth-wicket between tailenders Marco Jansen and Kagiso Rabada. 
The win in the Centurion Test-Match over the Shaheens has steered the Proteas to 88 points in 11 encounters in the current WTC cycle, giving a significant boost to their PCT to 66.67 ahead of the PCT of the Mighty Australians i.e 58.89 and Team India's 55.89 PCT. Both of those teams are currently fighting it out against each other in the ongoing 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy series which is currently tied at 1-1.
With the Proteas confirming their ticket to the WTC Final, which will be held at the iconic Lord's Cricket Stadium between the 11th of June to 15th of June of 2025, only Australia and the Indian Team are the only two realistic contenders fighting it out versus each other secure the other vacant final spot. 
The Temba Bavuma-led team became just the fourth team to qualify for the WTC final after Team India (2021&amp; 2023), Reigning Champions Australia (2023) and inaugural-winners New Zealand, who lifted the WTC Test Mace in 2021 under the captaincy of Kane Williamson. 
The Proteas kicked off their 2023-25 WTC campaign with a 1-1 home Test-Series draw versus the Men in Blue before falling to a 2-0 defeat versus the Kiwis in February of this year. Temba Bavum and CO then secured two consecutive series wins over the Windies and the Bangladeshi Tigers before securing a easy 2-0 home series win versus Sri Lanka earlier this month
This defeat versus South Africa was Pakistan's seventh one in the current WTC cycle in 11 participated emcounters and this defeat meant they have dropped down to the eighth position below Asian-rivals Bangladesh in the overall WTC Standings. The 2nd and final Test-Match between both the teams will be played in the city of Cape Town from the 3rd of January, 2025.
<h2>Updated WTC Points-table:</h2>
<table class="table cb-srs-pnts" style="width: 99.5122%; height: 383.359px;">
<thead>
<tr class="cb-srs-gray-strip " style="height: 10px;">
<td class=" cb-srs-pnts-th text-center" style="width: 7.18033%;" title="Position">Pos</td>
<td style="width: 2.11186%;"> </td>
<td class=" cb-srs-pnts-th text-left" style="width: 20.6963%;" title="Team">Team</td>
<td class=" cb-srs-pnts-th" style="width: 13.7271%;" title="Matches Played">Matches</td>
<td class=" cb-srs-pnts-th" style="width: 8.86982%;" title="Matches Won">Won</td>
<td class=" cb-srs-pnts-th" style="width: 8.02508%;" title="Matches Lost">Lost</td>
<td class=" cb-srs-pnts-th" style="width: 10.9817%;" title="Matches Drawn">Drawn</td>
<td class=" cb-srs-pnts-th" style="width: 6.54677%;" title="Matches Abandonded">NR</td>
<td class=" cb-srs-pnts-th" style="width: 10.7705%;" title="Total Points">Points</td>
<td class=" cb-srs-pnts-th" style="width: 11.1929%;" title="Percentage of Points">PCT</td>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 58.5938px;">
<td class="cb-srs-pnts-td text-center" style="width: 7.18033%;">1</td>
<td class="cb-srs-pnts-td text-center" style="width: 2.11186%;"> </td>
<td class="cb-srs-pnts-td text-left" style="width: 20.6963%;">South Africa</td>
<td class="cb-srs-pnts-td" style="width: 13.7271%;">11</td>
<td class="cb-srs-pnts-td" style="width: 8.86982%;">7</td>
<td class="cb-srs-pnts-td" style="width: 8.02508%;">3</td>
<td class="cb-srs-pnts-td" style="width: 10.9817%;">1</td>
<td class="cb-srs-pnts-td" style="width: 6.54677%;">0</td>
<td class="cb-srs-pnts-td" style="width: 10.7705%;">88</td>
<td class="cb-srs-pnts-td" style="width: 11.1929%;">66.670</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 36.1953px;">
<td class="cb-srs-pnts-td text-center" style="width: 7.18033%;">2</td>
<td class="cb-srs-pnts-td text-center" style="width: 2.11186%;"> </td>
<td class="cb-srs-pnts-td text-left" style="width: 20.6963%;">Australia</td>
<td class="cb-srs-pnts-td" style="width: 13.7271%;">15</td>
<td class="cb-srs-pnts-td" style="width: 8.86982%;">9</td>
<td class="cb-srs-pnts-td" style="width: 8.02508%;">4</td>
<td class="cb-srs-pnts-td" style="width: 10.9817%;">2</td>
<td class="cb-srs-pnts-td" style="width: 6.54677%;">0</td>
<td class="cb-srs-pnts-td" style="width: 10.7705%;">106</td>
<td class="cb-srs-pnts-td" style="width: 11.1929%;">58.890</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 36.1953px;">
<td class="cb-srs-pnts-td text-center" style="width: 7.18033%;">3</td>
<td class="cb-srs-pnts-td text-center" style="width: 2.11186%;"> </td>
<td class="cb-srs-pnts-td text-left" style="width: 20.6963%;">India</td>
<td class="cb-srs-pnts-td" style="width: 13.7271%;">17</td>
<td class="cb-srs-pnts-td" style="width: 8.86982%;">9</td>
<td class="cb-srs-pnts-td" style="width: 8.02508%;">6</td>
<td class="cb-srs-pnts-td" style="width: 10.9817%;">2</td>
<td class="cb-srs-pnts-td" style="width: 6.54677%;">0</td>
<td class="cb-srs-pnts-td" style="width: 10.7705%;">114</td>
<td class="cb-srs-pnts-td" style="width: 11.1929%;">55.880</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 58.5938px;">
<td class="cb-srs-pnts-td text-center" style="width: 7.18033%;">4</td>
<td class="cb-srs-pnts-td text-center" style="width: 2.11186%;"> </td>
<td class="cb-srs-pnts-td text-left" style="width: 20.6963%;">New Zealand</td>
<td class="cb-srs-pnts-td" style="width: 13.7271%;">14</td>
<td class="cb-srs-pnts-td" style="width: 8.86982%;">7</td>
<td class="cb-srs-pnts-td" style="width: 8.02508%;">7</td>
<td class="cb-srs-pnts-td" style="width: 10.9817%;">0</td>
<td class="cb-srs-pnts-td" style="width: 6.54677%;">0</td>
<td class="cb-srs-pnts-td" style="width: 10.7705%;">81</td>
<td class="cb-srs-pnts-td" style="width: 11.1929%;">48.210</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 36.1953px;">
<td class="cb-srs-pnts-td text-center" style="width: 7.18033%;">5</td>
<td class="cb-srs-pnts-td text-center" style="width: 2.11186%;"> </td>
<td class="cb-srs-pnts-td text-left" style="width: 20.6963%;">Sri Lanka</td>
<td class="cb-srs-pnts-td" style="width: 13.7271%;">11</td>
<td class="cb-srs-pnts-td" style="width: 8.86982%;">5</td>
<td class="cb-srs-pnts-td" style="width: 8.02508%;">6</td>
<td class="cb-srs-pnts-td" style="width: 10.9817%;">0</td>
<td class="cb-srs-pnts-td" style="width: 6.54677%;">0</td>
<td class="cb-srs-pnts-td" style="width: 10.7705%;">60</td>
<td class="cb-srs-pnts-td" style="width: 11.1929%;">45.450</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 36.1953px;">
<td class="cb-srs-pnts-td text-center" style="width: 7.18033%;">6</td>
<td class="cb-srs-pnts-td text-center" style="width: 2.11186%;"> </td>
<td class="cb-srs-pnts-td text-left" style="width: 20.6963%;">England</td>
<td class="cb-srs-pnts-td" style="width: 13.7271%;">22</td>
<td class="cb-srs-pnts-td" style="width: 8.86982%;">11</td>
<td class="cb-srs-pnts-td" style="width: 8.02508%;">10</td>
<td class="cb-srs-pnts-td" style="width: 10.9817%;">1</td>
<td class="cb-srs-pnts-td" style="width: 6.54677%;">0</td>
<td class="cb-srs-pnts-td" style="width: 10.7705%;">114</td>
<td class="cb-srs-pnts-td" style="width: 11.1929%;">43.180</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 36.1953px;">
<td class="cb-srs-pnts-td text-center" style="width: 7.18033%;">7</td>
<td class="cb-srs-pnts-td text-center" style="width: 2.11186%;"> </td>
<td class="cb-srs-pnts-td text-left" style="width: 20.6963%;">Bangladesh</td>
<td class="cb-srs-pnts-td" style="width: 13.7271%;">12</td>
<td class="cb-srs-pnts-td" style="width: 8.86982%;">4</td>
<td class="cb-srs-pnts-td" style="width: 8.02508%;">8</td>
<td class="cb-srs-pnts-td" style="width: 10.9817%;">0</td>
<td class="cb-srs-pnts-td" style="width: 6.54677%;">0</td>
<td class="cb-srs-pnts-td" style="width: 10.7705%;">45</td>
<td class="cb-srs-pnts-td" style="width: 11.1929%;">31.250</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 36.1953px;">
<td class="cb-srs-pnts-td text-center" style="width: 7.18033%;">8</td>
<td class="cb-srs-pnts-td text-center" style="width: 2.11186%;"></td>
<td class="cb-srs-pnts-td text-left" style="width: 20.6963%; text-align: left;">Pakistan</td>
<td class="cb-srs-pnts-td" style="width: 13.7271%;">11</td>
<td class="cb-srs-pnts-td" style="width: 8.86982%;">4</td>
<td class="cb-srs-pnts-td" style="width: 8.02508%;">7</td>
<td class="cb-srs-pnts-td" style="width: 10.9817%;">0</td>
<td class="cb-srs-pnts-td" style="width: 6.54677%;">0</td>
<td class="cb-srs-pnts-td" style="width: 10.7705%;">40</td>
<td class="cb-srs-pnts-td" style="width: 11.1929%;">30.300</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

Marco Jansen (L) and Kagiso Rabada (R) of South Africa held their nerve and helped their team secure a victory over Pakistan in Centurion  | Image: Getty Images

South Africa have become the first team to qualify for the WTC 2023-25 Final after their win over Pakistan in Centurion

Updated WTC Points-Table following South Africa's win over Pakistan | South Africa survive a scare

updated-wtc-points-table-following-south-africa-s-win-over-pakistan-south-africa-survive-a-scare

The first test between South Africa and Pakistan in SuperSport Park in Centurion has ended with a thrilling finish as the hosts held their nerves to edge past Pakistan. South Africa won the first game by just two wickets to take an unassailable 1-0 lead in the series.
With this win, they have also made it into the final of the World Test Championship 2023-25. South Africa became the first team to make it to the WTC final, which is scheduled to take place at Lord's Cricket Stadium in June, 2025.
This was the special performance from the hosts as they were reduced to 99/8 while chasing 148 runs. Then Marco Jansen (16*) and Kagiso Rabada (31* off 26) added an unbeaten 51 off 50 balls for the ninth wicket to take South Africa home. This partnership also helped South Africa to book a WTC final berth, and only one spot is remaining.
<h2>WTC Final: South Africa confirmed their place, and here is how India can qualify for the final.</h2>
With one spot already booked, the fight for the second spot is WTC. Australia, India, and Sri Lanka are the front runners. Australia are second, while India and Sri Lanka are third and fourth on the WTC 2023-25 table. Hence, the result of the ongoing Boxing Day Test at Melbourne Cricket Stadium between India and Australia will make a big impact on the standings.
Going into the final day, both teams have a slight chance, with Australia holding an upper hand. But anything is possible in the final. Meanwhile, India and Australia are both eyeing a WTC final spot. India still have a chance to qualify, but their qualification depends on various scenarios, which we will discuss here below.
Scenario 1: India must win the remaining two tests at MCG and SCG to finish above Australia's NRR to qualify.
Scenario 2: If the MCG test ends in a draw, then India must win the fifth test. In that case, India should hope that Sri Lanka beat Australia in one of two tests at home.
Scenario 3: If the BGT series ends 1-1, India should pray that Sri Lanka win the series against Australia 1-0.
All these scenarios can help India finish above Australia on the final WTC standings. But if India lose even one game or lose the BGT series, they will be out of the race. So, India don't have any other option than winning.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/top-five-highest-totals-chased-down-by-india-in-test-cricket-/">Top five highest totals chased down by India in Test cricket</a>

South Africa beat Pakistan in the first Test by 2 wickets to qualify for the final of the World Test Championship 2023-24 at Lord's in June 2025.

WTC Final: South Africa secure the final berth; here's how India can qualify for the World Test Championship final

wtc-final-south-africa-secure-the-final-berth-here-s-how-india-can-qualify-for-the-world-test-championship-final

South Africa are the inaugural champion of the ICC Champions Trophy, as they won the first edition back in 1998. But since then, they have made it to the knockouts of multiple ICC events but couldn't win a title yet. But they will look to end this drought as they enter the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025 as one of the favorites.
South Africa are placed in Group B, which already has Australia, England, and Afghanistan. This is the toughest group of two, as all four teams can surprise anyone. The Proteas will begin their journey with their first game against Afghanistan on February 21 at National Stadium, Karachi.
South Africa have been very consistent in the ICC events in the last few tournaments across formats. They made it to the final of the T20 World Cup 2024 and were the semifinalists in the ODI World Cup 2023. Recently, they made it to the World Test Championship final. Hence, they will not be the underdog this time around. On Monday, Cricket South Africa announced the 15-member squad for the coming tournament.
<h2>Temba Bavuma to lead South Africa in the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025</h2>
South Africa announced a strong 15-member squad that has almost all the bases covered. The batting unit looks strong, and they have some serious fast bowlers in their ranks. Temba Bavuma will lead the squad that has some big match-winners like Heinrich Klaasen, Aiden Markram, David Miller, and Rassie van der Dussen.
Tabraiz Shamsi and Keshav Maharaj will be two specialist spinners, as the conditions in Pakistan and the UAE are more in favor of the spinners. The Proteas have brought back Lungi Ngidi and Anrich Nortje, who have experience of playing in Pakistan before. Marco Jansen and Wiaan Mulder are the two specialist pace-bowling all-rounders in the squad.
Anrich Nortje will play his first ODI since September 2023, as he was out of action due to injury. Similarly, Ngidi is also making his comeback after missing out on the last 4-5 months of action due to a groin injury. The Proteas have gone with a similar batch of players that played in the ODI World Cup 2023. Ten players are from the same squad. South Africa will play their group matches on February 21, 25, and March 1, respectively.
South Africa's Squad for ICC Champions Trophy 2025
Temba Bavuma (c), Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Aiden Markram, David Miller, Kagiso Rabada, Tony de Zorzi, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Ryan Rickelton, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs (wk), Rassie van der Dussen, Anrich Nortje, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi
Also Read: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/gautam-gambhir-backs-this-youngster-to-be-india-s-next-captain-after-rohit-sharma-leaves-out-bumrah-gill-and-pant/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gautam Gambhir backs this youngster to be India's next captain after Rohit Sharma; leaves out Bumrah, Gill and Pant</a>

Temba Bavuma will lead South Africa in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025

South Africa will play their first match of the ICC Champions Trophy on February 21 against Afghanistan at National Stadium, Karachi.

South Africa announce Pace-heavy 15-member squad for ICC Champions Trophy 2025; Temba Bavuma to lead the star-studded team 

south-africa-announce-pace-heavy-15-member-squad-for-icc-champions-trophy-2025-temba-bavuma-to-lead-the-star-studded-team-

Just five weeks are left until the start of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. The marquee event is all set to begin on February 19 in Pakistan with the top 8 teams in the world. But just one month before the tournament's start, South Africa suffered a major blow as star pacer Anrich Nortje has been ruled out of the tournament.
This news came as a body blow to South Africa, as Nortje, with his experience, is a key player for the ODI setup. However, his injury-driven history has now forced him to miss yet another big tournament for South Africa.
As per the latest updates, the pacer went for scans on January 13 (Monday), and it has been revealed that he might not be able to make it to the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in time. His injury was a big shock for the team as he returns to the ODI squad since the end of 2023. But he will feel himself unlucky to be sidelined due to injury.
<h3>South Africa to announce Anrich Nortje's replacement for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 soon.</h3>
Anrich Nortje played his last ODI back in September 2023 and was out of action due to injury. Recently, he made his comeback and was playing in the ongoing SA20 2025 for Pretoria Capitals. However, his injury has now ruled him out of the remainder of SA20 2025 as well, and there is no hope for him to recover until South Africa's opening clash on February 21.
Cricket South Africa (CSA) announced the 15-member squad a couple of days back for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025. However, they will have to make necessary changes in it. The CSA hasn't announced any replacement yet, but they are likely to announce it very soon.
South Africa are part of Group B along with Australia, England, and Afghanistan. It is called the 'Group of Death,' with all teams having the capability to make it to the knockout. The Proteas will be opening their campaign on February 21 with a match against Afghanistan in Karachi. They will face Australia and England on February 25 and March 1, respectively.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/record-alert-smriti-mandhana-shatters-world-record-achieves-rare-feat-with-her-stunning-ton-in-3rd-odi-in-ranjkot/">Record Alert: Smriti Mandhana shatters World Record; achieves rare feat with her stunning ton in 3rd ODI in Ranjkot</a>

South Africa have not announced the replacement of injured Anrich Nortje yet.

Anrich Nortje played his last ODI for South Africa in September 2023. He will miss yet another major tournament due to injury.

Huge Blow for South Africa: Anrich Nortje Ruled out of the Champions Trophy 2025

huge-blow-for-south-africa-anrich-nortje-ruled-out-of-the-champions-trophy-2025

In what promises to be a thrilling &amp; entertaining encounter, rivals Afghanistan (AFG) &amp; South Africa (RSA) will be witnessed squaring off versus each other in the first Group-B match of the ICC Men's Champions Trophy 2025 tournament on 21st February at Karachi's National Bank Stadium. The battle between the powerful Proteas &amp; the rising Afghan Atalans, who have been taking the Cricketing World by storm with their talented group of players, surely promises to be an epic one. 
The Afghans will be taking part in their maiden Champions Trophy event and their confidence will be boosted as they are coming on the back of an incredible winning-run in the 50 overs format. Their team have managed to win all four of their One Day International series under the captaincy of Hashmatullah Shahidi, including a crucial triumph of 2-1 over the Proteas. They will surely feel more confident going into the eight team ICC event as a result of this extra ordinary performance. 
The South Africans, on the other hand, regarded as the favorites in this forthcoming clash, have struggled to perform well in their recent outings in the 50 over format. Their team has faced injury related issues to key players and they ended the recently concluded Triangular series versus Pakistan &amp; New Zealand on a winless note. As the runners-up of the 2024 T20 World Cup, the Proteas will surely be looking to go one step further this time around and break their trophyless jinx. 
With both sides eager to start off the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy on a winning note, Cricket fans &amp; enthusiasts can look forward to a fiercely contested &amp; exciting encounter between the Afghan Atalans &amp; the Proteas.
<h2>Pitch Report and Weather Conditions  </h2>
The pitch of the National Bank Stadium of Karachi is known as a batters' paradise. It has a long history of favoring the batters more and the seam bowlers will be getting little to no help on this surface, while the spin bowlers can prove to be effective due to the slow nature of the pitch. The dew factor can also play an important in deciding the outcome of the match in the evening period, due to which the toss-winning captain might go ahead and choose to field first. 
Talking about the weather forecast, In accordance to the weather reports of AccuWeather, the city of Karachi is anticipated to experience a partly cloudy sky on Friday with the temperature expected to hover around the 30 degrees Celsius mark. The humidity levels are expected to stay between 30 to 40 percent, but the chances of rain interfering with the match are zero. 
<h2>Afghanistan versus South Africa Champions Trophy: Probable Playing 11's of both teams</h2>
<h3>Afghanistan's Probable Starting 11</h3>
1. Ibrahim Zadran
2. Rahmanullah Gurzbaz (WK) 
3. Rahmat Shah
4. Hashmatullah Shahidi (Captain) 
5. Azmatullah Omarzai
6. Mohammad Nabi
7. Gulbadin Naib
8. Rashid Khan
9. Noor Ahmed
10. Fazalhaq Farooqi
11. Farid Ahmed Malik
Afghanistan are expected to go in with a spin heavy bowling unit consisting of the likes of top class spinners such as Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmed and Mohammad Nabi. Taking into account the spin friendly conditions of Karachi, these three will create a lot of problems for the South Africans. 
<h3>South Africa's Probable Starting 11</h3>
1. Temba Bavuma (Captain) 
2. Aiden Markram
3. Toni de Zorzi
4. Rassie van der Dussen
5. Heinrich Klassen (WK) 
6. David Miller
7. Keshav Maharaj
8. Lungisiani Ngidi
9. Marco Jansen
10. Kagiso Rabada
11. Tabraiz Shamsi
The Temba Bavuma-led haven't been in great form in ODI Cricket for a long time and while they won't be entering the Champions Trophy on the best of forms, they surely cannot be ruled out of any game and their formidable lineup will create a lot of issues for Afghanistan. Kagiso Rabada will be the leader of the bowling unit and he will be getting company from the likes of Lungisiani Ngidi and Marco Jansen. Keshav Maharaj &amp; Tabraiz Shamsi will handle the spin bowling duties.
<h2>HOT Picks for Afghanistan vs South Africa Dream11 Grand League Team  </h2>
Afghanistan:  
- Rahmanullah Gurbaz: Afghanistan's explosive wicketkeeper-batsman Rahmanullah Gurbaz has scored a total of 1,769 runs in 46 One Day International matches and his batting at the top of the order will be useful for your grand league teams. He will also give points with his role of a wicketkeeper. 
- Rashid Khan: Spin bowling all-rounder Rashid Khan, the ace leg spinner of the Afghan Atalans has dismissed batters 198 times in 111 One Day International games and he also has the ability to chip in with some valuable contributions with the bat down the order. The value he provides as an all-rounder will be crucial to Afghanistan's success in the eight-team tournament. 
- Azmatullah Omarzai: Azmatullah Omarzai had an excellent 2023 ODI World Cup in India with both bat &amp; ball. He was also crowned as the ICC Men's Player of the Year for 2024 and he is definitely a good hot pick for your Grand League teams given his all-round abilities. 

South Africa: 
- Temba Bavuma: South African skipper Temba Bavuma has amassed 1,733 runs in 46 ODI matches at a really good average of 44. He played a brilliant knock of 81 runs in his team's previous match versus Pakistan and his good form makes him a good pick for the Grand League teams. 
- Rassie van der Dussen: Experienced batter Rassie van der Dussen has scored 2,464 runs in 68 50-over matches at an excellent average of 48. He's a really experienced player who knows how to contribute in a meaningful manner in the big games and you should definitely not ignore him from your grand league teams. 
- Marco Jansen: Tall left-arm fast bowling all-rounder Marco Jansen has dismissed 42 batters in 21 ODI games. He has also scored 461 runs with the bat and his all-round abilities will provide a lot of points to your grand league teams. 
The Temba Bavuma-led South Africa will enter this match as the favorites and it makes sense to back them for several reasons, despite the recent success of Afghanistan in the format. While the Afghan Atalans have proven to be a dangerous-looking side, especially on spin-friendly surfaces, the Proteas still have the presence of strong power hitters to overcome their challenge. 
One of the key advantages for South Africans is the presence of a strong opening pair. With Tony de Zorzi set to partner Temba Bavuma at the top of the order, they will have a more stable &amp; explosive opening pair in comparison to Afghanistan. 
While the aggression of Rahmanullah Gurbaz is one of the best in modern-day Cricket, his partner at the other end Ibrahim Zadran is a completely opposite batter who prefers to start off his innings slowly. This may make it hard for the Hashmatullah Shahidi-led outfit to outscore the 2024 T20 World Cup runners-up.
<h2>Best Dream11 Team for Afghanistan vs South Africa, Match No. 3</h2>
Wicketkeeper- Rahmanullah Gurbaz 
Batters- Temba Bavuma, Rassie van der Dussen and Rahmat Shah
All-Rounders- Aiden Markram, Mohammad Nabi, Marco Jansen and Azmatullah Omarzai
Bowlers- Rashid Khan, Kagiso Rabada and Keshav Maharaj
<h2>Afghanistan vs South Africa Champions Trophy: Best Captain &amp; Vice-Captain options</h2>
Rashid Khan, Marco Jansen, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, and Aiden Markram
Do Read: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/champions-trophy-team-india-will-create-history-after-defeating-bangladesh-pakistan-no-team-has-been-able-to-do-this-till-now/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Champions Trophy: Team India will create history after defeating Bangladesh &amp; Pakistan, no team has been able to do this till now</a>

The Champions Trophy kicks off another action-packed day on Friday as Afghanistan and South Africa clash in Karachi in what promises to be an intriguing contest. Read on to find a detailed preview and the best Dream 11 reccomanded Grand League team for this clash, and don’t forget to take advantage of the Hot Pick players listed below to maximise your Dream 11 winning chances

Afghanistan are all set to make their Champions Trophy debut against inaugural champions South Africa and they have qualified for the champions Trophy for the first time this season.
South Africa won the inaugural edition of Champions Trophy in 1998 after which they failed to qualify for the finals. The Proteas have a 3-2 win-loss record over Afghanistan in ODIs.

south africa cricket team