Afghanistan bat first in World Cup mission impossible clash

 

Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi won the toss and chose to bat against South Africa in a World Cup clash they must win by 438 runs to reach the semi-finals.

Their heartbreaking loss to Australia on Tuesday when Glenn Maxwell launched his one-man rescue mission left Afghanistan on the fringes of the race for the last four.

New Zealand's victory over Sri Lanka on Thursday then pushed them further out of contention and with their run-rate in negative figures, their chances of making the semi-finals are all but over.

South Africa have already made sure of their place in the semi-finals where they will face five-time champions Australia.

Hosts India, the only undefeated side in the tournament, will likely face New Zealand in the last four should both Afghanistan or Pakistan, who meet England on Saturday, fail to pull off huge victories.

Afghanistan named the same team which lost to Australia while South Africa have rested Marco Jansen and Tabraiz Shamsi with Andile Phehlukwayo and Gerald Coetzee taking their places.

Teams

Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (capt), Azmatullah Omarzai, Ikram Alikhil (wkt), Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Naveen-ul-Haq

South Africa: Quinton de Kock (wk), Temba Bavuma (capt), Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Andile Phehlukwayo, Gerald Coetzee, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi

Umpires: Chris Brown (NZL) and Nitin Menon (IND)

TV Umpire: Kumar Dharmasena (SRI)

Match Referee: Jeff Crowe (NZL)