Tags: Afghanistan v South Africa in UAE 2024,
Afghanistan vs South Africa, 1st ODI at Sharjah, Sep 18, 2024,
Afghanistan,
South Africa
Published on: Sep 19, 2024
Scorecard
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In a landmark achievement for Afghan cricket, Afghanistan recorded its first-ever victory over South Africa in international cricket, led by a stellar bowling performance from Fazalhaq Farooqi and 18-year-old spin sensation Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar.
South Africa, having won the toss and opted to bat, quickly regretted the decision. Left-arm pacer Fazalhaq Farooqi struck early, sending shockwaves through the South African lineup by dismissing top-order batsmen Reeza Hendricks and Aiden Markram. His dominance didn’t end there, as he also took the wicket of Tony de Zorzi, leaving South Africa struggling to recover.
The turning point in the match, however, came with the introduction of the young prodigy Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar. In a dazzling display of spin bowling, Ghazanfar dismantled South Africa’s middle order, removing both Tristan Stubbs and debutant Jason Smith for ducks in the same over. At 29/5, South Africa was in complete disarray. Ghazanfar then further capitalized on the pressure, claiming the wickets of Kyle Verreynne and Andile Phehlukwayo, with Phehlukwayo falling victim to a run-out.
Despite resistance from Wiaan Mulder, who contributed a gritty half-century, and Bjorn Fortuin, South Africa could only post a meager total of 106 runs. With such a modest target, Afghanistan faced the task of maintaining composure to secure the historic win.
Afghanistan’s chase was not without its challenges, but Azmatullah Omarzai and Gulbadin Naib steadied the ship with an unbeaten fifth-wicket partnership, guiding Afghanistan to a memorable victory. Their composed batting ensured that Afghanistan reached the target, etching their names in cricket history.
This victory holds special significance for Afghanistan as it marks their first-ever triumph over South Africa in any format, having previously lost all five encounters. Just recently, Afghanistan was bowled out for a disappointing 56 runs in the semi-finals of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 by the same opposition, making this win even more satisfying.
With this result, Afghanistan has now registered wins against all major cricketing nations, with the exceptions of India and Nepal, the latter being a rare encounter with just one match played. This milestone victory reflects Afghanistan’s growing stature in international cricket and showcases the emergence of young talent like Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar, alongside the consistent brilliance of Fazalhaq Farooqi.