Historic Bilateral Series Between Afghanistan and South Africa Announced
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Cricket South Africa (CSA) and the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) have announced the first-ever bilateral series between the two nations.
This historic ODI series, hosted by the ACB at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium, marks the first meeting between Afghanistan and South Africa outside of ICC tournaments. The two sides have previously met twice in ODIs during the ICC Men's Cricket World Cups in 2019 and 2023, with South Africa emerging victorious on both occasions. Additionally, they have faced off three times in T20Is during the Men's T20 World Cups (2010, 2016, and 2024), with the Proteas winning each encounter. Their most recent clash was in the semi-final of the Men's T20 World Cup 2024, where South Africa secured a convincing win over Afghanistan.
CSA Chairman Lawson Naidoo expressed enthusiasm about the upcoming tour, calling it a significant milestone in the cricketing relations between South Africa and Afghanistan. “We are excited to embark on this historic ODI series with Afghanistan, who have become a very competitive all-round team as evidenced by their recent performances in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 and most recently at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024. This is a significant milestone in our cricketing relations, and we look forward to a competitive and entertaining series,” Naidoo stated.
ACB Chairman Mirwais Ashraf echoed these sentiments, highlighting the productive negotiations with Cricket South Africa that led to the scheduling of this series. “These fixtures were not initially part of our FTP. Still, based on our productive negotiations with our counterparts at Cricket South Africa, we concluded that we will host the Proteas for an ODI series in September. They are an excellent team, and we are eagerly looking forward to hosting them and playing them regularly in the future,” Ashraf commented.
The ODI Series Schedule is as follows:
- Wednesday, 18 September: Afghanistan vs South Africa, 1st ODI, Sharjah Cricket Stadium, UAE
- Friday, 20 September: Afghanistan vs South Africa, 2nd ODI, Sharjah Cricket Stadium, UAE
- Sunday, 22 September: Afghanistan vs South Africa, 3rd ODI, Sharjah Cricket Stadium, UAE
This series promises to be a landmark event, showcasing competitive cricket and strengthening the bonds between the two cricketing nations.
🚨 ANNOUNCEMENT 🚨
— Afghanistan Cricket Board (@ACBofficials) July 31, 2024
We are hosting the @ProteasMenCSA for the first time in a three-match ODI series. 🇿🇦
📅: September 18 - 22
🏟: Sharjah Cricket Stadium, UAE
🔗: https://t.co/GeSqbfWjj2#AfghanAtalan | #AFGvSA pic.twitter.com/2MaQvx9d0w
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