England wins the toss and bats against South Africa in Champions Trophy match
KARACHI, Pakistan (AP) — In his final game as captain, Jos Buttler won the toss and England decided to bat against South Africa at the Champions Trophy.
England is already out of the tournament with two straight defeats — it lost to Australia by five wickets and to Afghanistan by eight runs.
Buttler announced on Friday that he would step down after England’s surprising exit, as well as its past failures in the 2024 T20 World Cup and the 2023 Cricket World Cup.
South Africa is in a must-win position in the final group B game — victory against England will confirm its top spot from the group and a place in the semifinals.
The Proteas have made two changes — skipper Temba Bavuma and batter Tony de Zorzi miss out owing to illness. Aiden Markram leads in Bavuma’s absence, with Tristan Stubbs and Heinrich Klaasen included.
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Lineups:
England: Philip Salt, Ben Duckett, Jamie Smith, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jos Buttler (captain), Liam Livingstone, Jamie Overton, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Saqib Mahmood
South Africa: Tristan Stubbs, Ryan Rickelton, Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram (captain), Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Wiaan Mulder, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi
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AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket
