South Africa Champions Archives

Shahid Afridi opens up on his availability for WCL 2025 final

Pakistan Champions all-rounder Shahid Afridi has confirmed that he will not feature in the final of the World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2025 against South Africa, scheduled to take place later today at Edgbaston.

The veteran all-rounder has not played a single match in the tournament due to fitness concerns.

Despite his absence on the field, the team has performed impressively, remaining unbeaten throughout the group stage and reaching the final after India Champions forfeited their semi-final clash.

Fans were hoping to see Afridi in action during the final. However, during a press conference in Manchester, the star all-rounder revealed that doctors advised him not to play.

“The doctor has advised me to rest, so I won’t be playing the final,” he said, adding that he had hoped to make a comeback if Pakistan had played India in the semi-final.

“My heart wanted to play, especially if that semi-final had happened. Maybe I would’ve pushed through the pain.”

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Despite being sidelined, Shahid Afridi has been actively involved in the team’s preparations and mentoring the squad.

“I motivate the boys, remind them of their responsibility. I help arrange nets and practice sessions. That’s my contribution off the field,” he said with a smile.

Shahid Afridi also praised the team’s collective mindset, highlighting that playing for Pakistan remains their sole focus.

“We are here only for Pakistan. This green jersey is our pride, and we will give our best effort in the final, Insha’Allah,” he said. “All the boys trained hard and are match-ready.”

“Every senior here is serious about his performance. This isn’t a small league. When Pakistan’s name is involved, the intensity naturally rises.”

READ: Mohammad Hafeez provides update on Shahid Afridi’s availability for WCL 2025 final

South Africa edge Australia in last-ball thriller to set up WCL final with Pakistan

BIRMINGHAM: South Africa Champions edge past Australia Champions in a last-ball thriller to reach the World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2025 final here at Edgbaston on Thursday.

Chasing a 187-run target, Australia Champions fought hard but eventually fell one run short, scoring 185-7 in their 20 overs.

Australia Champions started strongly in pursuit of the target, putting up a 45-run stand in just 4.3 overs. Chris Lynn was the core aggressor, scoring 35 off 20 balls with the aid of four boundaries and a six.

However, Wayne Parnell provided the much-needed breakthrough, breaking the partnership with Lynn’s wicket.

Shaun Marsh, on the other hand, continued on his merry way and stitched together a crucial stand with D’Arcy Short to steady the Australia champions in the chase.

The southpaw made 25 from 17, striking a six and two fours before getting dismissed as Australia Champions were reduced to 71-2 in eight overs.

With the next wicket, Ben Dunk (12 off 11 balls) falling in the 12th over, Australia Champions needed a partnership, and they found one with Short and Daniel Christian stitching together a 33-run stand.

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Both batters kept Australia afloat in the chase; however, D’Arcy Short was removed after scoring 33 off 29 deliveries.

South Africa Champions fought back in the last stage of the innings, taking wickets at crucial intervals to jolt the opposition’s progress.

The game eventually turned out to be a cliff hanger with Australia Champions requiring 14 off the last over to seal a spot in the WCL 2025 final.

Rob Quiney struck Wayne Parnell for a six on the first ball of the over to balance the equation; however, he and Christian both failed to manage to hit a boundary on the next few balls.

As a result, three runs were required from one ball and set batter Daniel Christian on the crease.

He struck the ball down the ground, and it looked like a definite two runs, but a brilliant throw from AB De Villiers at the bowler’s end resulted in a run out and sealed a memorable win for South Africa Champions.

Earlier, Morne van Wyk and JJ Smuts’ knocks propelled South Africa Champions to a strong total against Australia Champions.

Opting to bat first, South Africa Champions posted 186-8 in their allocated 20 overs.

The Proteas started poorly in the crucial encounter, losing their inform batter AB de Villiers only in the second over. He made six from four balls as South Africa Champions were 13-1.

However, following the early dismissal, Morne van Wyk and JJ Smuts partnered for a 112-run stand. Both batters notched up half-centuries and powered South Africa Champions to 124 in only 12 overs.

Daniel Christian provided the Australia Champions with a much-needed breakthrough, removing Smuts, who made 57 runs from 41 balls, striking eight fours and a six.

After a solid platform from the top-order, the Proteas failed to capitalize in the latter half of the innings, losing wickets at a crucial time.

Morne van Wyk top-scored for South Africa Champions with 76 from 35 balls, peppered with seven fours and five maximums.

For Australia Champions, Peter Siddle starred with the ball, taking a four-wicket haul for 30 runs in his quota of four overs.

READ: South Africa win toss against Australia in WCL 2025 semi-final

South Africa win toss against Australia in WCL 2025 semi-final

BIRMINGHAM: South Africa Champions have won the toss and opted to bat first against Australia Champions in the World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2025 semi-final here at Edgbaston on Thursday.

Playing XIs

South Africa Champions: AB de Villiers(c), JJ Smuts, Jacques Rudolph, Sarel Erwee, Jean-Paul Duminy, Henry Davids, Morne van Wyk(w), Wayne Parnell, Hardus Viljoen, Aaron Phangiso, Duanne Olivier

Australia Champions: Shaun Marsh, Chris Lynn, D Arcy Short, Ben Dunk(w), Daniel Christian, Callum Ferguson, Ben Cutting, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Peter Siddle, Brett Lee(c), Steve O’Keefe

Head To Head

South Africa Champions have faced each other twice in the tournament’s history, and on both occasions, the teams have secured dominant victories.

In 2024, during the inaugural edition of the tournament, the Australia champions emerged victorious after winning the game by 104 runs.

In the WCL 2025, South Africa champions thrashed the Australian champions by 95 runs.

South Africa Champions: 1 Australia Champions: 1

During the league stage fixtures, South Africa Champions remained in second position on the points table with four wins out of five games. In contrast, the Australia Champions finished in third position after winning two games.

In the league stage encounter held on 27 July, the Proteas comprehensively defeated the Aussies by a 95-run margin, thanks to AB de Villiers masterclass.

READ: Pakistan advance to WCL 2025 final following India’s withdrawal

WCL 2025: South Africa win toss, bowl first against Pakistan

LEICESTER: South Africa Champions have won the toss and opted to bowl first against Pakistan Champions in the ninth fixture of the World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2025 here at Grace Road on Friday.

AB De Villiers is not playing today for the South Africa Champions, as Aaron Phangiso has been named the captain of the side.

Pakistan Champions are in third spot in the WCL 2025 points table with one win from two matches, whereas South Africa Champions are topping the chart with three wins out of three games.

Playing XIs

South Africa Champions: Hashim Amla, Henry Davids, JJ Smuts, Sarel Erwee, Jean-Paul Duminy, Morne van Wyk (wk), Chris Morris, Wayne Parnell, Aaron Phangiso (c), Hardus Viljoen, Duanne Olivier

Pakistan Champions: Kamran Akmal(w), Sharjeel Khan, Umar Amin, Mohammad Hafeez(c), Shoaib Malik, Asif Ali, Imad Wasim, Aamer Yamin, Sohail Khan, Sohail Tanvir, Wahab Riaz

The ongoing WCL 2025 is contested across four English venues: Edgbaston (Birmingham), County Ground (Northampton), Grace Road (Leicester), and Headingley (Leeds).

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Six teams, India, Pakistan, Australia, England, South Africa, and the West Indies, will face off in a round-robin format, with the top four teams qualifying for the WCL 2025 semi-finals.

The ongoing WCL 2025 marks the second installment of the tournament, following the inaugural tournament held in 2024, where the Indian team, led by the legendary Yuvraj Singh, emerged as champions.

READ: Joe Root overtakes Dravid, Kallis to become third-highest Test run scorer

WCL 2025: AB de Villiers’ sublime century helps South Africa thrash England

LEICESTER: AB de Villiers jaw-dropping century powered South Africa Champions to a massive win over England Champions in the eighth fixture of the World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2025 here at Grace Road on Thursday.

Chasing a modest target of 153 runs, the South Africa Champions secured victory effortlessly in just 12.2 overs.

In pursuit of the target, South Africa’s Champions De Villiers piled on misery on English bowlers.

He forged an unbeaten 153-run partnership with Hashim Amla to lead his home team in a stellar chase. The right-hander was the primary aggressor while Amla played a supportive role.

The Proteas scored 80 runs by the end of the powerplay, helped by a 21-run over from Liam Plunkett. De Villiers reached his half-century in just 19 balls, while Hashim Amla played cautiously, scoring 14 runs off 17 balls.

The 41-year-old continued to take on England bowlers to the cleaners with South Africa Champions scoring 128 at the halfway mark of the innings. He reached his century off 41 balls with a single on the second ball of the 10th over.

With victory evident, De Villiers continued to charge the bowlers, eventually resulting in an emphatic statement victory for the South African champions.

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AB de Villiers scored 116 runs off just 51 balls, hitting seven sixes and 15 fours. The right-handed batter’s explosive innings was so remarkable that in his 153-run partnership, Hashim Amla could only manage 29 runs off 25 balls.

Earlier, the England Champions set the South Africa Champions a target of 153 runs, thanks to the South Africa Champions’ clinical bowling effort.

For England Champions, Phil Mustard top-scored with 39 off 33 balls with the aid of three fours and a six, whereas skipper Eoin Morgan made 20 from 14 balls, striking two fours and a maximum.

For the South Africa Champions, Imran Tahir and Wayne Parnell took wickets each.

The ongoing WCL 2025 is contested across four English venues: Edgbaston (Birmingham), County Ground (Northampton), Grace Road (Leicester), and Headingley (Leeds).

Six teams, India, Pakistan, Australia, England, South Africa, and the West Indies, will face off in a round-robin format, with the top four teams qualifying for the WCL 2025 semi-finals.

The ongoing WCL 2025 marks the second installment of the tournament, following the inaugural tournament held in 2024, where the Indian team, led by the legendary Yuvraj Singh, emerged as champions.

Playing XIs

England: Phil Mustard (wk), Ian Bell, Eoin Morgan (c), Moeen Ali, Ravi Bopara, Tim Ambrose, Samit Patel, Liam Plunkett, Ajmal Shahzad, Stuart Meaker, Dimitri Mascarenhas

South Africa: Jacques Rudolph, Sarel Erwee, AB de Villiers (c), Jean-Paul Duminy, JJ Smuts, Morne van Wyk (wk), Wayne Parnell, Chris Morris, Hardus Viljoen, Duanne Olivier, Imran Tahir

READ: Salman Ali Agha hails team effort after dominant win against Bangladesh

WCL 2025: De Villiers, Phangiso shine as South Africa crush India

NORTHAMPTON: AB de Villiers’ classy knock and Aaron Phangiso’s spin magic powered South Africa Champions to a massive 88-run (DLS) win over India Champions in the sixth match of the World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2025 here at the County Cricket Ground on Tuesday.

Chasing a daunting 209-run target, the reigning champions crumbled under pressure and could manage to score 111-9 in 18.2 overs in a rain-hit game.

South Africa Champions struck early, leaving India Champions reeling with four wickets down inside powerplay.

Wayne Parnell started the proceedings for the Proteas, bowling an outstanding two-over spell in which he gave nothing and took two wickets.

Robin Uthappa (2), Shikhar Dhawan (1), Suresh Raina (1`6) and Ambati Rayadu went without scoring as they were reduced to 28-4 in 5.3 overs.

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The wickets continued to tumble at regular intervals for the India Champions, with none of the middle order batters scoring significantly except Stuart Binny, who top-scored with his 37* off 30 balls.

For South Africa, Aaron Phangiso was the standout bowler, scalping three wickets in his quota of four overs, while Imran Tahir and Wayne Parnell each picked up two wickets.

Earlier, AB de Villiers’ powerful knock propelled South Africa Champions to an imposing total.

Put into bat first, South Africa Champions posted 208-6 in their allocated 20 overs.

The Proteas opener provided a solid start as they scored 35 runs in 4 overs. Hashim Amla looked as elegant as ever with his 22 off 19 balls, laced with crisp four boundaries.

Jack Rudolph (24 off 20 balls), who looked in delicate touch, forged a brief little stand with Sarel Erwee (15 off 12) to bring the total to 66. However, India Champions roared back with back-to-back wickets in the eighth over as both of the set batters went back to the pavilion.

Consequently, the arrival of AB de Villiers always instilled fear in the opposition as he set the tone for South Africa to post an imposing total.

Meanwhile, India Champions struck on regular intervals in the middle overs, but De Villiers’ 63* off 30 balls, peppered with four maximums and three fours, took the rainbow nation over the 200-run mark.

For India Champions, Yusuf Pathan and Piyush Chawla took two wickets.

READ: WCL 2025: Walton, Edwards star as West Indies defeat England

South Africa edge West Indies in bowl-out to kick off WCL 2025

BIRMINGHAM: South Africa Champions began their World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2025 campaign with a thrilling bowl-out win over West Indies Champions after rain and a nail-biting finish left the match tied at Edgbaston on Saturday.

In a contest reduced to 11 overs per side, AB de Villiers opted to bowl first after winning the toss. West Indies posted 79/5, led by Lendl Simmons’ 28 off 21 balls and a steady unbeaten 27 from wicketkeeper Chadwick Walton.

Aaron Phangiso was the standout performer with the ball, returning figures of 2/19 in his three overs, while Duanne Olivier, JJ Smuts and Hardus Viljoen chipped in with a wicket each.

South Africa’s DLS-adjusted target was set at 81. Despite contributions from Sarel Erwee (27 off 18) and JP Duminy (25* off 12), the Proteas fell one run short, managing 80/6 as Fidel Edwards successfully defended nine runs in the final over.

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The tied encounter led to an unusual bowl-out instead of a super over.

Proteas once again won the toss and chose to bowl first in the shootout. However, they missed their first three attempts, with Phangiso, Chris Morris and Viljoen failing to hit the stumps.

JJ Smuts finally broke the deadlock on the fourth attempt, followed by Wayne Parnell, who delivered a perfect yorker to make it two.

West Indies, needing at least two hits to stay alive, couldn’t strike once in their five chances, handing South Africa Champions a 2-0 win in the bowl-out and a dramatic start to their WCL 2025 campaign.

READ: Salman Ali Agha backs Babar Azam, Rizwan ahead of Bangladesh T20I series