South Africa And England Set For Crucial ICC Champions Trophy Clash

Karachi [Pakistan]: South Africa is set to face England on Saturday at the National Stadium in Karachi, with a semi-final spot in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 on the line.

South Africa look to book a semi-final berth as they take on England in Karachi 🏏

How to watch ➡️https://t.co/S0poKnxpTX pic.twitter.com/KhJVNn0l7p

— ICC (@ICC) March 1, 2025

Semi-Final Race Heats Up

• Afghanistan shared points with Australia after their match was washed out, keeping them in contention for the semi-finals.
• South Africa holds a stronger Net Run Rate (NRR) and a game in hand, giving them an edge.
• A win against England will guarantee the Proteas a place in the semi-finals.
• England, already eliminated from the tournament after losses to Australia and Afghanistan, will aim to finish on a high.

Team Form and Recent Performances

South Africa:

The Proteas have had an inconsistent run in ODIs leading up to the Champions Trophy.

• Their match against Australia was washed out.
• They defeated Afghanistan convincingly by 107 runs.
• Before that, they endured six consecutive ODI defeats, including a loss to Ireland.

England:

England’s struggles have continued into the Champions Trophy after a poor run of form in white-ball cricket.

• Back-to-back defeats in Lahore knocked them out of the semi-final race.
• They have remained competitive but have failed to close out matches.
• Their white-ball captain, Jos Buttler, recently resigned, adding to the instability.

Key Players to Watch

South Africa – Temba Bavuma

• As captain, Bavuma’s tactical decisions could be crucial in determining South Africa’s fate.
• His performance with the bat will also be vital in stabilizing the Proteas’ innings.

England – Jos Buttler

• Buttler, despite stepping down as captain, remains England’s key batter.
• He will be desperate to end the tournament on a strong note after a disappointing campaign.

Squads

South Africa:

Temba Bavuma (c), Tony de Zorzi, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs, Rassie van der Dussen, Corbin Bosch.

England:

Jos Buttler (c), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Tom Banton, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Jamie Smith, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Saqib Mahmood, Phil Salt, Mark Wood.