AFG vs SA Match Preview- 1st ODI, Afghanistan vs South Africa in UAE 2024

The AFG vs SA ODI series is all set to entertain cricket fans of both countries. Both teams start a new chapter in ODI history by facing each other in their first-ever bilateral ODI series.

Notably, South Africa has a 100 percent win record against the Asian nation in ODIs, winning both games during ICC ODI World Cups. Now, Afghanistan has three good opportunities to grab their first-ever victory against the Proteas.

However, it won't be an easy task for the hosts with South Africa's dominance in World Cricket. Below is the preview for AFG vs SA 1st ODI.

AFG vs SA 1st ODI Date and Venue

The Afghanistan vs South Africa 1st ODI takes place on Wednesday, September 18. The venue of the match is Sharjah Cricket Stadium in Sharjah, UAE. The match begins at 5:30 PM IST.

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AFG vs SA Match Preview- 1st ODI, Afghanistan vs South Africa in UAE 2024

Afghanistan

Hashmatullah Shahidi is the skipper of Afghanistan in the series. Below is their full squad.

AFG Squad: Hashmatullah Shahidi (C), Darwish Rasooli, Riaz Hassan, Bilal Sami, Rahmat Shah, Abdul Malik, Mohammad Nabi, Nangeyalia Kharote, Gulbadin Naib, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ikram Alikhil, Naveed Zadran, Fareed Ahmad Malik, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Allah Ghazanfar.

South Africa

Temba Bavuma is the captain of South Africa in the series. Below is their full squad.

SA Squad: Temba Bavuma (C), Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Andile Phehlukwayo, Ottneil Baartman, Nandre Burger, Tony de Zorzi, Bjorn Fortuin, Nqaba Peter, Andile Simelane, Jason Smith, Tristan Stubbs, Kyle Verreynne, Lizaad Williams.

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AFG vs SA Key Battles

Aiden Markram vs Rashid Khan

Aiden Markram is a key middle-order batsman for the side and Rashid Khan needs to halt him with his spin attack.

Tristan Stubbs vs Fazalhaq Farooqi

Tristan Stubbs is a powerful lower-middle-order batsman for South Africa who can smack big knocks to drive the scoreboard to a big total. Fazalhaq Farooqui needs to outplay him with his pace attack.

Rahmanullah Gurbaz vs Lungi Ngidi

Rahmanullah Gurbaz is a powerful opener for the hosts and will look to provide a stunning start to the team. Lungi Ngidi needs to crush him as soon as possible.

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AFG vs SA Key Players

AFG: Hashmatuallah Shahidi, Rahmat Shah, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, and Rahmamullah Gurbaz are crucial names in the AFG squad.

SA: Temba Bavuma, Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markram. Tristan Stubbs, Nandre Burger, Lungi Ngidi, and Andile Phehlukwayo are key members of the side.

Weather And Pitch Report

The match takes place in Sharjah City on Wednesday. According to weather reports, there is no chance of rain in the city on that day. Hence, the match will not be affected by weather.

The pitch is spin-friendly and also offers a good surface to score runs. However, batters need to keep their patience. The Pacers have to pull their socks up for good shows. Spinners will dominate more.

Conclusion

The AFG vs SA ODI series has already created history by being the first-ever bilateral series between both sides. It will be interesting to see if Afghanistan can capture their first-ever win against the Proteas in an ODI game.