South Africa and Afghanistan are set to face off in their first bilateral ODI series from September 18 to 22 at Sharjah Cricket Stadium, featuring three matches. South African captain Temba Bavuma will miss the series due to illness, with Aiden Markram stepping in as leader. The series proceeds despite Cricket Australia's recent decision to postpone its ODI series against Afghanistan due to concerns over the Taliban's policies. Afghanistan is looking to capitalize on this opportunity, especially after a recent strong performance in the T20 World Cup, while South Africa aims to bounce back from a disappointing series against the West Indies. Both teams will be fielding relatively inexperienced line-ups, which could make for a competitive series. The first ODI is scheduled to begin at 5:30 PM IST on September 18.