Afghanistan’s skipper Rashid Khan said on Thursday following their ICC T20 World Cup match against South Africa that it had been a tough game for the team, and that the team slipped in the batting department.

Speaking at the post-match presentation, Rashid said: “It was a tough match for us. We might have done a little better than that, but the conditions didn’t allow us to do what we want.

“You have to be mentally ready for any conditions, but the way they bowled was exceptional. We just couldn’t bat well.”

However, he paid tribute to his fast bowlers, and said they had really come into their own.

“The way they stood up for us [the fast bowlers] throughout the tournament is why we had success.

“The way Naveen and Fazal bowled, that made our job as a spinning unit easier in the middle.

“Overall, we are quite happy with the way we managed ourselves in pressure situations. That was very pleasing.

“Beating big teams is very special for us. It is just the beginning for us.

“We now have the belief that we can beat any side on the day.

“We learned a lot of things, and the next time the belief will be there, and much better than this.”

Afghanistan, who looked like they could do no wrong throughout this tournament, finally came undone in their semi-final match against South Africa.

But it had been a thrilling tournament for the team, who had until now never reached a semi-final stage in any ICC event.

On Thursday, after winning the toss and electing to bat first, Afghanistan was quickly put to the test by South Africa.

In the end, they were scuttled out for 56.

Despite the wicket providing the odd surprise, the South African top order managed to ultimately cruise to the target inside of nine overs to secure them a spot for the first time in the ICC tournament final.

In his post-match discussion, South Africa’s captain Aidan Markram said: “It feels good. It is not really the captain that gets you here – it is a massive squad effort.

“Really chuffed for us to have one more crack to lift a trophy.

“It was special. We were fortunate to lose the toss. We also wanted to bat.

“The bowlers put the ball in the right areas and made life tough for the Afghanistan batters.

“It was quite tough, but we knew it was a matter of a partnership to take the sting out upfront.

“Just one more step [the final]. It is an exciting challenge that we have never had.

“There is a lot of belief. We have played really good cricket for a couple of years as a white-ball group.”

Meanwhile, the Afghanistan Cricket Board sent out a heartfelt message to Rashid Khan after the match and said in a post on social media: “Chin up, Skipp! You’ve given us the World this event!”

ESPNcricinfo also wrote an encouraging message on X and said: “Regardless of the result today, it’s been a historic #T20WorldCup campaign for Afghanistan”

Some commentators however questioned the ICC’s schedule stating that playing an important semi-final just 48 hours after their Super 8 clash against Bangladesh seemed too much for Afghanistan.

In addition to this, a four-hour flight delay from St Vincent meant the team only arrived in Trinidad on the eve of the match – leaving no time for practise or rest.

Members of the public, both locally and abroad, meanwhile took to social media in their droves and congratulated Afghanistan on their overall performance during the T20 World Cup.

Rajat Agarwala from India said: “Embrace the loss Rashid Bhai and feel proud for what you have achieved. The best ever performance by AFG team. Congratulations.”

BeingBhaijaan wrote: “Chin up #AfghanAtalan, we are proud of you. Thank you for all that you do to bring happiness to our nation. You guys are amazing.”

Another Indian fan said: “Afghanistan is a rising force of cricket, its a learning for you, keep the motivation high, you will become world champions soon, at least earlier than many other teams.”

A Delhi-based journalist, Harish Kumar, summed up Afghanistan’s success these past few weeks and said in a post on X: “Achieving this position is a remarkable accomplishment, not only demonstrating exceptional gameplay but also captivating the global audience with exemplary conduct. Regardless of the game’s outcome, you stand as the ultimate victor.”

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Afghanistan and South Africa are set to face off early Thursday in the first semi-final of this year’s T20 World Cup and whichever team wins will make history, as neither have ever played in an ICC T20 World Cup final.

For Afghanistan, the mere thought of making it this far in the tournament was a pipe dream just a few years ago.

However, the team has taken the world by surprise and risen up through the T20 ranks at a meteoric pace.

Since being granted international status in 2011, Afghanistan’s success in just 13 years is testimony to the Afghan cricketing fraternity and the players’ resilience and commitment to the game.

Excitement ahead of the match was almost palpable by Wednesday afternoon with social media platforms buzzing with anticipation for a potential India vs Afghanistan final.

Thousands of users expressed their support for Rashid Khan and his men, a team that has carried the tag of “underdog” for quite some time. While others leaned more towards an India vs South Africa final, an “underdog” win on a global sport stage is not unheard of.

In fact South Africa, also once considered an underdog, pulled off an incredible win in the 1995 Rugby World Cup, after having been in global isolation for years, due to sanctions leveled against the former apartheid government.

This Rugby World Cup had been the first major sporting event to take place in South Africa following the end of apartheid and it was the first Rugby World Cup in which South Africa was allowed to compete.

Today, that match stands as a hugely symbolic moment in South African history.

‘One Team, One Country’ – Nelson Mandela’s slogan to forge unity among a divided nation in 1995

The president at the time, Nelson Mandela, used the opportunity to orchestrate a show of unity among the people of a deeply divided nation by using the slogan “One Team, One Country.”

The former government’s policy of apartheid along with its gross human rights violations had long made South Africa an international pariah and from 1964 to 1992 the country was banned from most global sporting events including the Olympic Games.

Mandela however saw the rugby world cup as a way to help lessen divisions between Black and White South Africans and foster a shared national pride – especially as the country was host to this global event. 

By the time South Africa made it to the final, against New Zealand, the nation had rallied in support of the team, put aside their differences, and were rooting wholeheartedly for their country.

Since then, South Africa has gone on to become a global powerhouse in rugby and in cricket, with countless players earning international respect by playing for foreign clubs and leagues.

To a degree, parallels can almost be drawn between South Africa’s history and Afghanistan’s current situation.

For years, cricket in Afghanistan was considered a Pashtun game, just like Black South Africans originally considered rugby to be a game played exclusively by White South Africans.

But this perception in Afghanistan has changed considerably over the past 10 years. After each victory, each milestone, and each successful sale of a player to one or other cricket league, the Afghanistan fan base has grown.

Today, millions of fans watch the matches on TV, they follow the team and players on social media, and hundreds of thousands of Afghan children look up to national players such as Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi, Fazalhaq Farooqi and Rahmanullah Gurbaz to name just a few.

Afghanistan after beating Bangladesh earlier this week

It’s these players who are the role models, the heroes, who have against all odds risen up through the debris of war and taken the cricketing world by storm.

The power of sport as a uniting force was clear after the 1995 Rugby World Cup.

In his biography, Mandela, Martin Meredith wrote: “The whole of South Africa erupted in celebration, Blacks as joyful as the Whites.”

“Never before had Blacks had cause to show such pride in the efforts of their White countrymen. It was a moment of national fusion that Mandela had done much to inspire.”

Following South Africa’s victory, Mandela donned a Springbok rugby shirt and cap and proudly presented the trophy to the South African captain Francois Pienaar.

Years later, when Mandela died, Pienaar said that “when the final whistle blew, this country changed forever.”

South Africa’s former president Nelson Mandela hands Francois Pienaar the 1995 Rugby World Cup trophy

It was this display of unity, through sport, that crossed race, tribal and religious lines, and left instead “One Team, One Country”.

In the spirit of Mandela’s words and wisdom, one can understand what Afghanistan’s team captain Rashid Khan was alluding to in his video message on Wednesday when he called on the country, on Afghans at home and around the world, to support their team, and to keep them in their prayers.

But no matter the outcome of the T20 semi-final match on Thursday, the Afghanistan team are already winners in the eyes of millions of fans after having carved out their slice of history – by proving to be worthy of a nation’s pride and unquestionable support. 

Fans across the country can tune in to Ariana Television on Thursday morning from 4.30am for the pre-match show. The match will be broadcast from 5am live and exclusively on Ariana Television. 

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Trinidad and Tobago will host the first semi-final at the event between South Africa and Afghanistan, with India and England battling it out in the second knockout contest from Guyana.

The dates, teams and venues have been confirmed for the knockout stage of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

South Africa finished the Super Eight stage at the top of Group 2.  The Proteas will take on Afghanistan at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad and Tobago on Thursday morning at 5am Kabul time.

Afghanistan booked their place in the final four when they overcame Bangladesh’s fight in the final game of the Super Eights in St Vincent on Tuesday morning. 

After scoring 115/5 in the first innings, Afghanistan bowled out Bangladesh for 105 in a rain-affected game, securing an 8-run win (DLS method).

The second semi-final will take place in Guyana with unbeaten India matched up against reigning T20 World Cup champions England.

India ensured their spot in the semis with an impressive victory over Australia on Monday and will take on Jos Buttler’s side in a rematch of their one-sided contest at the most recent T20 World Cup in Australia two years ago.

Semi-final schedule:

First semi-final: South Africa v Afghanistan, Wednesday June 26 (8:30pm local). The match however will start on Thursday morning at 5am Kabul time, Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Tarouba, Trinidad and Tobago

Second semi-final: India v England, Thursday June 27 (10:30am local), Guyana National Stadium, Guyana

Fans in Afghanistan can tune in from 4.30am Kabul time on Thursday morning to watch the match live and exclusively on Ariana Television.

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