Sport
Bavuma wary of Afghanistan challenge in Champions Trophy
Bavuma said Afghanistan would draw confidence from that series going into their Group B encounter.
South Africa captain Temba Bavuma warned his team they will need to be at their best against Afghanistan in their opening game of the Champions Trophy in Karachi on Friday.
It will be the first meeting between the countries since Afghanistan beat South Africa 2-1 in a one-day series in Sharjah last September.
Bavuma said Afghanistan would draw confidence from that series going into their Group B encounter.
“They are a highly competitive team,” said Bavuma as reported by AFP. “I think they’ve got a lot of experience within their team.
“Guys who have that international pedigree at least from a skill point of view and we have to bring out our A-game.”
“We played against them mid-to-late last year and they were victorious, so they won’t be short of any type of confidence coming into the game tomorrow but in terms of preparations we have ticked all the boxes,” he added.
South Africa will be at full strength with Marco Jansen, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs and Rassie van der Dussen all available, having sat out the recent tri-series in Pakistan.
Despite losing to Pakistan and New Zealand in that series, Bavuma felt his team has prepared well.
“We understand, you know, the Champions Trophy is a little bit different, it’s almost like every game is a knockout type of thing and our mindset really is to make sure that we pitch up and play our best game of cricket,” said Bavuma.
“Hopefully we’re playing five games and not three games of cricket in this tournament. I think most importantly, we win the moments that matter.”
Australia and England are the other two teams in Group B, with Pakistan, India, New Zealand and Bangladesh in Group A.
The top two teams from each group will qualify for the semi-finals.
South Africa won the inaugural Champions Trophy — then named the ICC Knock-Out Trophy — in Bangladesh in 1998.
But they have since fallen short in major tournaments, often losing in the knock-out rounds, and earning the tag of “chokers”.
They lost in the semi-finals of the ODI World Cup in India in 2023 and were runners-up to India in last year’s T20 World Cup held in the United States and the West Indies.
Bavuma dismissed fears the long title drought would weigh on the minds of the players.
“There’s no negativity from the fact that we haven’t been able to be successful in other ICC events or editions,” said Bavuma.
“But there is a lot more positivity and confidence in terms of our ability or how far we can go within the tournament.”
Afghanistan will face South Africa in Karachi on Friday. The match will begin at 1:30 p.m.
Cricket fans across the country can watch all Champions Trophy matches live on Ariana Television.
For updates, fixtures and schedules be sure to follow Ariana Television and Ariana News’ digital platforms.
Arman FC suffered a 1-0 defeat against Abu Muslim Farah in the 83rd match of the sixth season of Afghanistan Champions League Roshan in Kabul on Wednesday.
Abu Muslim Farah found the back of the net once in the first half, taking a 1-0 lead into the break.
Despite efforts from both sides in the second half, neither team managed to score, and the match ended in a 1-0 victory for Abu Muslim Farah.
Arman FC will face Kabul Istiqlal on November 15 in their final match of the competition, while Abu Muslim Farah will take on Toofan Herat on November 14.
All matches of the sixth season of Afghanistan Champions League Roshan are broadcast live on Ariana Television.
Sorkh Poshan Khafi have mathematically secured the sixth-season Roshan Afghanistan Champions League title after recording a commanding 7-0 victory over Khurasan Faryab in the competition’s 82nd match on Wednesday.
The Herat-based side moved to 47 points from 17 matches, putting the championship beyond the reach of their closest rivals with one fixture still remaining in their campaign.
The title was effectively decided by the result, rather than the conclusion of the competition, as other teams still have matches to play.
Before Wednesday’s encounter, Sorkh Poshan had 44 points, six ahead of second-placed Abu Muslim Farah. Even if Abu Muslim win both of their remaining matches, they can reach only 44 points, leaving Sorkh Poshan uncatchable.
Sorkh Poshan took a 1-0 lead into half-time in Wednesday’s match before producing a devastating second-half display, scoring six additional goals to complete the 7-0 rout.
The victory also confirmed the club’s outstanding consistency throughout the campaign, establishing them as the season’s dominant side.
Sorkh Poshan will play their final league fixture against Omar Zawak on November 15, giving the team an opportunity to finish their campaign on another high note.
Khurasan Faryab, meanwhile, are scheduled to face Sarsabz Yashlar on November 14 as the remaining league fixtures continue.
The sixth season of the Roshan Afghanistan Champions League features 10 clubs competing in a league format, with the title now decided ahead of the final round of matches.
Ariana Radio and Television Network (ATN) broadcasts all matches of the competition live on Ariana Television.
Sport
Historic first for Rahmat Shah after ICC rankings update
It was Rahmat’s fifth Test century of his career and second this year and it helped the 33-year-old jump in front of the likes of India captain Shubman Gill.
Afghanistan captain Rahmat Shah has created history by becoming the first player from his country to enter the top 10 in any category of the ICC Men’s Test Player Rankings.
Rahmat climbs six spots to seventh on the rankings for Test batters following his innings of 173 in the opening match of Afghanistan’s two-game series with Zimbabwe in Sharjah, with the in-form right-hander reaching a new career-high rating in the process.
It was Rahmat’s fifth Test century of his career and second this year and it helped the 33-year-old jump in front of the likes of India captain Shubman Gill, South Africa opener Aiden Markram and Sri Lanka left-hander Kamindu Mendis and earn a spot inside the top 10 for the very first time.
It caps off a good fortnight for Afghanistan, who earlier this month achieved their highest-ever spot on the ICC Men’s ODI Team Rankings when they rose to sixth on the back of a tri-series triumph over Zimbabwe and Bangladesh.
Tahawol: High-level Russian delegation’s visit to Kabul discussed
Saar: Afghanistan’s situation in focus at CSTO discussed
Abu Muslim Farah edge Arman FC with 1-0 victory in ACL match
Sorkh Poshan Khafi secures ACL title with crushing 7-0 win over Khurasan Faryab
Afghanistan now has unified central government: IEA defense minister
Afghanistan finish runners-up after 6-0 defeat to Brazil in futsal final
Trump says US may strike Iran’s ‘Pickaxe Mountain’ nuclear facility
Afghan futsal coach: Brazil tournament is first step towards new goals and World Cup
Violent protests spread across Europe as Albanian PM blames ‘foreign hand’
Rubio heads to Central Asia while other US officials hit foreign policy hot spots
Tahawol: High-level Russian delegation’s visit to Kabul discussed
Saar: Afghanistan’s situation in focus at CSTO discussed
Tahawol: Efforts to halt deportation of Afghan refugees from US discussed
Saar: Russia’s stance on Afghanistan discussed
Trump says further US attacks on Iran ‘highly unlikely’ as peace talks gain momentum
-
Sport3 days agoAfghanistan’s record partnership highlights fourth day of Test against Zimbabwe
-
World4 days agoHouthi-run health ministry says airstrikes kill 33 near Yemen capital
-
Sport4 days agoToofan Herat defeat Arman FC 2–0 in Afghanistan Champions League
-
Sport3 days agoPortugal beat Afghanistan 2-0 in Dakar Youth Olympics futsal semi-finals
-
Sport3 days agoAfghanistan thrash Senegal 6-0 to reach Dakar Youth Olympics futsal semi-finals
-
Regional5 days agoPakistan’s leaders dread US Democrats’ win but its households are praying for it
-
Regional4 days agoExplosions heard in areas in southern Iran, Iranian media report
-
Business5 days agoUK-Afghanistan trade falls 16.7% to £70 million over 12 months