By C. Perera, JadeTimes News
South Africa has ended its semi final woes by decisively defeating Afghanistan to secure a place in their first men's T20 World Cup final. The Proteas, having failed to advance from their previous seven World Cup semi finals across all formats, bowled out Afghanistan for 56 runs in 11.5 overs on a challenging pitch, achieving a nine wicket victory in Trinidad.
Marco Jansen set the tone by dismissing Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Afghanistan's top run scorer of the tournament, reducing Afghanistan to 28 6 early on. Spinner Tabraiz Shamsi and Jansen took three wickets each, but the pitch's excessive seam movement and bounce raised concerns about its suitability for such a significant match. South Africa also faced difficulties in their chase, with Quinton de Kock getting bowled after being hit on the body. However, with minimal pressure to score quickly, the Proteas completed their chase in 8.5 overs.
South Africa remains unbeaten and will play either England or India in the final in Barbados. This victory marks a significant breakthrough for the team, which has previously suffered heartbreaking semi final exits, notably in 1992, 1999, and 2015. In this match, early breakthroughs by Jansen and Kagiso Rabada dismantled Afghanistan’s top order, leaving them unable to recover.
Despite the challenging surface and a delayed flight, Afghanistan managed to reach their first semi final, but South Africa capitalized on the conditions to secure their win. The decision by Afghanistan to bat first proved detrimental as the pitch favored the bowlers, with Jansen and Rabada exploiting the conditions effectively.
Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan expressed disappointment but acknowledged the tough conditions and praised South Africa's bowling. South Africa captain Aiden Markram highlighted the collective effort of the team and expressed excitement about the upcoming final. Despite the controversy over the pitch, former England bowler Steven Finn believed South Africa deserved their place in the final.