South Africa into Super Eights without playing UAE

NEW DELHI:

South Africa qualified for the T20 World Cup Super Eights on Monday without playing as Afghanistan's win over the United Arab Emirates was enough to send them through from Group D.

Azmatullah Omarzai was the hero for Afghanistan, taking 4-15 in the UAE's 160-9 and scoring an unbeaten 40 to steer his side to a five-wicket win after a tense chase in New Delhi.

Afghanistan finished on 162-5 with four balls to spare to keep alive their slim chances of moving into the next stage.

South Africa, semi-finalists in 2024, became the third team after the West Indies and co-hosts India to secure a Super Eights berth.

Afghanistan will need a big win in their last group match against Canada on Thursday and other results to go their way if they are to edge out New Zealand from second place in Group C.

"Next game, you never know, it's a T20 game, we'll have to come up with a good brand of cricket, irrespective of the chances of making it to the Super Eights," said Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan.

"We want to make the country and our people proud and happy."

New Zealand, with four points ahead of their final group match against bottom-placed Canada on Tuesday, look primed to claim the second Super Eight spot from Group D.

Sohaib Khan top-scored for UAE with 68 and put on a stand of 84 for the third wicket with Alishan Sharafu, who made 40.

Medium-pace bowler Muhammad Arfan dismissed Ibrahim Zadran in the 14th over to tilt the scales in UAE's favour at 97-4, but Darwish Rasooli and Omarzai put the chase back on track with a fifth-wicket partnership of 43.

Rasooli departed for 33 in the 18th over but Omarzai kept calm and hit the winning four to give Afghanistan their first win of the tournament.

Earlier, TV umpire Paul Reiffel found himself in the thick of action in the first four overs after Rashid won the toss and elected to field at Arun Jaitley Stadium.

UAE opener Aryansh Sharma edged the first ball from Omarzai but it was unclear if wicketkeeper Rahmanullah Gurbaz had taken a clean catch. Reiffel went through umpteen replays before giving the benefit of the doubt to the batter.

Three balls later, Reiffel was tasked with a similar job and this time the official decided that Aryansh was indeed out, caught behind for a duck.

Off-spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman trapped UAE captain Muhammad Waseem lbw for 10, a decision which Reiffel upheld after the batter reviewed it.

In the fourth over, Sohaib was initially given lbw to Mujeeb but he survived after replays confirmed the ball would have narrowly missed the leg stump.

The reprieve allowed Sohaib to combine with Alishan Sharafu (40) in an 84-run stand to steady the UAE innings.

Omarzai ended Sohaib's fine knock, which included four sixes and six fours.

Afghanistan lost their in-form opener Gurbaz in the first over but first Ibrahim Zadran (53) and then Darwish Rasooli (33) kept them in the hunt.

Omarzai finally sealed Afghanistan's win with a four off Junaid Siddique.

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