With defeat to Afghanistan, England have been knocked out of the tournament, so this upcoming clash vs South Africa holds no significance for them in that regard. Looking back at their last match and their overall tournament performance, it’s clear that their lack of experience in 50-over cricket has affected their gameplay. As we anticipated in our tournament preview, this inexperience has impacted their decision-making in crucial moments, leading to missed opportunities in key match situations.
Only a handful of English players have substantial experience in this format, which is somewhat ironic considering that Ben Duckett and Joe Root—two of the most experienced—have been among England’s top performers in the tournament. Additionally, England’s one-dimensional bowling attack has struggled, particularly in subcontinental conditions where the pitches don’t offer much pace.
I questioned England’s team balance from the very start of the tournament, particularly the reliance on a fifth bowler. While Root and Liam Livingstone haven’t been too expensive in terms of runs conceded, the real issue has been the lack of flexibility. With Mark Wood getting injured and Brydon Carse going down in the first game, it left Jos Buttler struggling to manage his bowling resources, especially in the death overs, leading to costly spells. This reflects poor planning from England. Given their overall performance, this is likely to be Buttler’s final game as captain.
I think it will be very difficult for Buttler to continue as captain after this tournament, and I expect a leadership change. It’s unfortunate because, despite the issues I’ve highlighted—and I stand by them—England were still in a position to win their first two matches. They had their chances, and that’s something they will carry into their next game against South Africa.
England still have a chance to finish the tournament on a high with a win. For each player, regardless of the final XI, this is an opportunity to step up, make an impression, and strengthen their case for future selection. As England looks ahead, there will be plenty of discussions about the direction of their one-day team. With Brendon McCullum remaining as head coach, I expect a change in captaincy moving forward.
Players will be eager to impress and stake their claim for a place in England’s future plans. As for the team selection, it seems likely that Wood is injured—he appeared to be struggling—so I don’t expect him to play. Saqib Mahmood would be the most straightforward replacement for him. There’s also the question of whether England will field Jofra Archer—I certainly hope they do. While some squad players haven’t had a chance yet, I believe England should go with their strongest possible XI for this match.
I would adjust the team balance by adding an extra bowling option, likely bringing in Rehan Ahmed in Karachi for more spin and pace-off options, which can be effective in these conditions. If I were selecting the team, I’d probably include both Mahmood and Ahmed, replacing Jamie Smith. Smith is a seriously talented player who might miss out if England change balance of side but has a massive future in this format moving forward.
Smith hasn’t made an impact in his two games, so if a change is needed, he might be the one to miss out. This would allow England to field five genuine bowling options, which is essential in ODI cricket, especially in subcontinental conditions. I would also push Buttler up the order, possibly to number three. I’ve said throughout the tournament that he’s been batting too low. He couldn’t win the game for England against Afghanistan, but I still believe he is England’s best player and needs more time at the crease.
For South Africa, it will be interesting to see how they line up. They missed their game against Australia due to rain, meaning they haven’t had much cricket for several days now. There’s some irony in that, considering they played in the tri-series against Pakistan before the Champions Trophy began, and several of their players also featured in the SA20. Many South African players were rested for most of that tri-series to recover, but now, ironically, they could use some game time. After the rain-out, they’ll be eager to get back on the field.
Heinrich Klaasen, assuming he’s fit after missing the first game, will likely return to the side. How they adjust their lineup to accommodate him will be interesting to see.
I like that South Africa has five strong bowling options in Marco Jansen, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Wiaan Mulder, and Keshav Maharaj, and I expect them to stick with that balance. However, Klaasen’s return means they might have to adjust their top order. One possibility is bringing Bavuma in to open the batting.
Looking at their recent lineup, Ryan Rickleton and Tony de Zorzi opened, with Bavuma at three, van der Dussen at four, Markram at five, and Miller at six. If Klaasen is fit and returns, someone from the top order will likely have to make way. Given that Rickleton scored a century, de Zorzi might be the one to miss out, allowing Bavuma to move up to open while the rest of the order shifts up one to accommodate Klaasen in the middle order.
That’s how I would approach it, but it’s definitely one of the key decisions they’ll have to make—assuming Klaasen is fit and ready to play. If Jansen stays at seven alongside the other bowlers, they’ll need to slightly adjust their batting order.
Overall, South Africa looks like a well-balanced and highly impressive team, and finalising their playing XI will be an important decision for them.
From the start, I predicted South Africa would be a semi-finalist, and I’ve never doubted their ability to get there. Now, they’re in that position—they just need a strong performance to carry them into the knockout stages. They are definitely a team to watch.
