June 27th 2024.
The T20 World Cup has been a hot topic of discussion lately, with former England captain Michael Vaughan voicing his concerns about the scheduling of the semifinal matches. According to Vaughan, the whole tournament seems to be designed in favor of India, which he believes is unfair to the other participating teams.
In the first semifinal held in Tarouba on Thursday, South Africa comfortably defeated Afghanistan by nine wickets, securing their spot in the finals and ending Afghanistan's historic campaign in the tournament. However, Vaughan argued that this match should have been held in Guyana instead, where India will be taking on defending champions England later in the day.
Expressing his frustration, Vaughan took to social media to voice his concerns. He tweeted, "Surely this Semi should have been the Guyana one .. but because the whole event is geared towards India it's so unfair on others.. #T20IWorldCup." He also mentioned that this kind of favoritism towards India is not fair to the other teams.
Vaughan also pointed out that Afghanistan did not have enough time to prepare for their first-ever semifinal due to flight delays and traveling. He expressed his disappointment, saying, "So Afghanistan qualify for the WC semi winning in St Vincent on Monday night .. 4 hr flight delay on Tues to Trinidad so no time to practice or get accustomed to a new venue .. utter lack of respect to players i am afraid .. #T20WorldCup2024."
In the semifinal match, Afghanistan's batters struggled against South Africa's formidable bowling attack, led by pacers Marco Jansen, Kagiso Rabada, and Anrich Nortje. Spinner Tabraiz Shamsi also played a crucial role, taking 3 wickets for just 6 runs in his 1.5 overs, helping to bundle out Afghanistan for a meager 56 runs in 11.5 overs.
In the second innings, South Africa's Reeza Hendricks and captain Aiden Markram put on an impressive performance, steering their team to a convincing nine-wicket victory and securing their spot in the finals. They will now face the winner of the second semifinal between India and England at Providence Stadium.
With an unbeaten record in the tournament so far, South Africa has a chance to lift their first limited-overs World Cup title in Bridgetown on Saturday, June 29. It will be an exciting clash between two strong teams, and all eyes will be on South Africa to see if they can continue their winning streak and claim the coveted title.
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