The first-ever bilateral ODI series between Afghanistan and South Africa is all set to get underway on September 18. This is a crucial series for both sides with limited ODI matches scheduled ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy in February 2025. Hashmatullah Shahidi will continue to lead Afghanistan while South Africa have also retained their skipper Temba Bavuma.
Rashid Khan is back for Afghanistan as they will be looking to build on their success at the ODI World Cup last year. All the matches of the series will be played in Sharjah as Afghanistan continue to search for a perfect home away from home. Their recent one-off Test against New Zealand turned out to be a farce due to sub-par facilities in Greater Noida. They will be keen on returning to the field after a significant break.
Meanwhile, South Africa have named a kind of second-strength squad with seven first-choice players missing out including David Miller, Keshav Maharaj and Heinrich Klaasen. Quinton de Kock's South Africa future is not clear at the moment with the head coach confirming that the cricketer hasn't yet contacted him after the T20 World Cup. With Afghanistan expected to test South Africa with their spinners, expect this series to be exciting one for the fans.
Here's all you need to know about SA vs AFG ODI series:
Schedule
1st ODI - September 18
2nd ODI - September 20
3rd ODI - September 22
All the matches will be played in Sharjah and commence at 5:30 PM IST
Squads
South Africa: Temba Bavuma (C), Tony de Zorzi, Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markram, Jason Smith, Wiaan Mulder, Andile Phehlukwayo, Tristan Stubbs, Kyle Verreynne, Nandre Burger, Ottneil Baartman, Lungi Ngidi, Bjorn Fortuin, Lizaad Williams, Nqba Peter, Andile Simelane
Afghanistan: Hashmatullah Shahidi (C), Darwish Rasooli, Riaz Hassan, Bilal Sami, Rahmat Shah, Abdul Malik, Mohammad Nabi, Nangeyalia Kharote, Gulbadin Naib, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Rahmanuallah Gurbaz, Ikram Alikhil, Naveed Zadran, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Fareed Malik, Allah Ghazanfar
AFG vs SA Live telecast and streaming details
The Afghanistan vs South Africa ODI series will not be telecast in India. However, Fancode has grabbed the live streaming rights in the country and the fans can enjoy the action on that platform.