Pakistan and South Africa kick start the three-matches T20I series in Lahore and the first match will be played on Thursday. It will be good preparation for young players from both sides.
Match Timings: Feb 11, 6:30 PM IST
Team Preview
South Africa and Pakistan will face each other in the three-matches T20I series. Pakistan won the Test series 2-0 and now, they will face a different South African side in T20s. Proteas will be playing the T20I series without most of their regular players. They will be led by wicket-keeper batsman Heinrich Klaasen and only 4 players from the Test series will join the T20I squad.
Okuhle Cele, Ryan Rickleton, Nandre Burger, and Jacques Snyman received their maiden national call-ups. Glenton Stuurman is fit now and he will make his return in the national squad. Proteas’ T20 form is not so convincing and they lost to England in the last T20I outing 3-0. Klassen will have a big responsibility to outplay Pakistan in Lahore.
Meanwhile, Pakistan are undefeated in the last six matches at home and they’re highly boosted after 2-0 Test success which was their first Test series win against South Africa since 2003. Hosts have recalled Hasan Ali and Asif Ali in their main squad. Hasan Ali got the reward of his domestic performance and he picked a 10-for in the Rawalpindi Test. Left-arm spinner Zafar Gohar, all-rounder Danish Aziz, leg-spinner Zahid Mehmood and bowling all-rounder Amad Butt have also been included in the T20 squad.
Pakistan may try youngsters to prepare better for the upcoming T20 World Cup. Babar Azam is in good form and he will surpass Umar Akmal in this series to become the third leading run-scorer for Pakistan in T20I. Mohammad Rizwan played a fine knock in his last T20I against New Zealand and one more time, Sarfaraz Ahmed will sit on the bench. The major changes in the squad are unexpected.
Pitch Report
Lahore’s surface is good for batting and it offers plenty of runs in both innings. Spinners can have good help in middle-overs considering the timing of the match. The chasing side will have an advantage.
Possible XI
Pakistan
Babar Azam (c), Asif Ali, Danish Aziz, Faheem Ashraf, Haider Ali, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Rizwan, Shaheen Afridi
South Africa
Heinrich Klaasen (c), Junior Dala, Bjorn Fortuin, Reeza Hendricks, George Linde, Janneman Malan, David Miller, Andile Phehlukwayo/Dwaine Pretorius, Tabraiz Shamsi, Jon-Jon Smuts, Glenton Stuurman
Key Players
Pakistan
Babar Azam
In 2020 – M: 6, Runs: 210, Avg: 52.50
Haris Rauf
In 2020 – M: 9, Wickets: 14, SR: 15
South Africa
Heinrich Klaasen
In 2020 – M: 4, Runs: 115, Avg: 28.75
Tabraiz Shamsi
Last one year – M: 10, Wickets: 10, SR: 22.80
