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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