Australia—the team that has returned home early among the 16 teams who tried and failed to advance to the knockout rounds. Instead, Afghanistan will face South Africa in Trinidad on Thursday, and they will command the same respect as any team of Australians. This respect is earned through victories over New Zealand, Australia, and Bangladesh in just 18 days.
Afghanistan endured defeats against West Indies and India along the way, while South Africa has maintained a perfect record with seven wins out of seven matches. However, Afghanistan's remarkable performance in this World Cup, hailing from a landlocked country, contrasts sharply with South Africa's history in knockout games—nine played, one won. It wouldn't be unreasonable to consider Rashid Khan's team favourites in this matchup.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran rank among the top five run-scorers in the tournament for Afghanistan, supported by Fazalhaq Farooqi, Rashid Khan, and Naveen-ul-Haq, who are among the leading wicket-takers. Quinton de Kock, South Africa's top batsman, ranks sixth on the list, while their most successful bowler, Anrich Nortje, shares eighth place.
Consider this insight from Rob Walter, responding to a question about sympathy for batters coping with challenging tournament conditions: "Professional sports leave little room for sympathy but offer ample opportunity for understanding."
Afghanistan, too, operates in the real world. Rashid Khan's words after defeating Bangladesh in St Vincent early Tuesday morning underscore this reality: "I only believed we had won the game when we took the last wicket."
In the truest sense of reality, many hope for a gesture or acknowledgement from the Afghan team that they represent the women and girls of their country, who are restricted by the repressive Taliban regime from participating in many aspects of life, including cricket. South Africa's teams similarly bore the burden of apartheid until 1994—a society marked by inequality and fear.
Then and now, cricket—and its players—cannot turn a blind eye.