ICC World T20 Semi Final 1: Afridi Swings Pak Into Finals, SA Heartbroken…Again!

The day called for a special performance. Sadly for South Africa, that outstanding all round performance came from the Pakistan camp and from none other than Shahid Afridi in the crucial first semi final of the ICC World Twenty20 in England at Trent Bridge, Nottingham.
Pakistan made the splendid decision to send Shahid Afridi at number three. A player of that kind of explosive ability to wasted down the order in a Twenty20 match, much like how South Africa found out with Albie Morkel.
Afridi took the assault on and after Wayne Parnell and Dale Steyn began well, he soon crushed the South Africans with his onslaught. When spin was introduced, Afridi smashed Johan Botha for four consecutives boundaries.
By the time South Africa devised his downfall, Afridi had made a brilliant half century off thirty-four balls. Shoaib Mallik and captain Younis Khan played their part for thirty-four and twenty-four runs separately.
But Pakistan found themselves short. They failed to utilize the final five overs which yielded just twenty-nine runs and it was credit to the nineteen year old Parnell who bowled well at the death in the do or die encounter.
Suddenly from the prospect of chasing 170-175, South Africa found themselves in a really attainable situation. Pakistan would have had time later to wonder if they had taken their foot off the accelerator but it was a great way for South Africa to fight themselves into a strong situation after the early onslaught.
South Africa started reasonably well with Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis. But they had perhaps undone a move of their own. By following the pattern of bringing in Herschelle Gibbs at number three, they had inadvertently let their explosive batsman to enter the arena after the spin took over. With little time to settle in, Gibbs was bowled by Afridi, whose Midas touch on the day was remarkable.
But South Africa were dealt another blow. Smith had survived one blundered catch only to fall and bring Gibbs in. But at the fall of Gibbs, the next highest run scorer for South Africa after Kallis came in to bat. AB de Villiers would have relished the conditions, entrench himself and steer South Africa to win. But today was not the day as he played on to Afridi and it left South Africa shaken after the disaster.
South Africa refused to gamble and Jean Paul Duminy came in to bat with the tireless Kallis. While both incredible players played to the situation, what South Africa really need was an innings of impact. With the likes of Morkel and Boucher warming up on the sidelines, crucial balls were squandered as the spinners did their trick.
South Africa needed forty-two runs from twenty balls, and they did have the wickets in hand. However, with their most explosive hitters yet to come in, Umar Gul relished bowling yorker after yorker and never really allowed South Africa a real chance at the end stage even though they lost by a margin of seven runs.
In the end, the scoreboard showed Kallis’ fine sixty-four from fifty-four balls and Duminy’s forty-four from thirty-nine balls. But what it did not show was that South Africa had plenty in the tank, only the ignition failed.
Once again South Africa walk away from a semi final situation, wondering how they could have slipped up and for such a formidable unit, the vulnerability was stunningly disappointing.