Big picture
After a series of entertainment tests where the score was 2-0 believing in cricketing competitiveness, Pakistan and South Africa will move to the shortest form. This is a series that will appeal to all parties for a variety of reasons. For Pakistan, it serves as an appetizer to a five-week bonanza of T20 cricket in the form of the PSL that begins later this month, and which marks, for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic began, the presence of a large crowd for a cricket match. The visitors, on the other hand, can put their heart and soul into these three games, not knowing when they will play the next one, following the controversial decision of Cricket Australia the tour their call to South Africa calling Covid-19 concerns.
Pakistan has to be the favorite just because of the youth side, without the experience of South Africa. Selected initially because they wanted to keep their key players resting for the now canceled Australian tour, South Africa chose to stick to that new side, a long cry from the team that finished on streak two that Pakistan won 11 T20I series a year ago.
Pakistan will try to put an unbeaten performance in the T20I series against New Zealand behind them, hoping to reproduce the spirit of the Napier T20I, where they drew victory from a very unfavorable situation. At home, meanwhile, they have been steadfast in T20I cricket since a disastrous 3-0 turnaround against a badly beaten Sri Lanka side 18 months ago. However, the winners since then have come only against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, and South Africa represents the biggest threat to the recent uptick in the form of T20I, regardless of absenteeism.
South Africa’s most experienced player David Miller has admitted that they would come under a lot of pressure, and a recent form reflects that. The visitors did not win any of their last five T20I series, last winning against Sri Lanka nearly two years ago. Heinrich Klaasen is captain of this tour, but with very little firepower either with a bat or a ball, his side must level out what they have been struggling to reach late. to truly test the well-drilled side of Pakistan familiar with Lahore’s outdoor situation. .
Form instructions
(Last five games completed, most recent first)
Pakistan WLLWW
South Africa LLLLW
In mind
Haider Ali misfiring in New Zealand meant Pakistan was left short of firepower in the powerhouse, and a return to form would give the home team valuable momentum. With the declining form of Fakhar Zaman and Mohammad Rizwan, despite his Napier heroes, not exploding enough to hold down a permanent opening position, Haider ‘s crisis has come in good time. Along with Babar Azam, who is set to return after a presence in New Zealand, Pakistan has the perfect mix of quality and power at the top. Haider showed the kind of impact he could have on a first-game win against England and at home against Zimbabwe, and with the PSL – where he fired into publicity – is just around the corner. with this time of year.
In a less familiar circuit party, Janneman Malan stands out for its ancestry and quality. Arguably one of the players who could have earned a call in the full-strength side, Malan’s recent form makes him one of the trumpet cards in Africa. Right in this series. He may have come in 50-over form, but his last List A games are 67, 95 and 69 * – along with 129 who won a game that did not go out against Australia last year – meaning confidence is not something the 24-year-old will be short of. A strike rate higher than 135 in T20 cricket is an indication of Malan’s ability in the shortest form, and there’s little reason this wasn’t his breakout series.
Team news
Azam’s arrival means Rizwan is likely to fall lower down the order despite his heroes in New Zealand. Asif Ali and Hasan Ali seem to be starters, and Shaheen Afridi may get some rest.
Pakistan: 1 Babar Azam (capt), 2 Haider Ali, 3 Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 4 Khushdil Shah, 5 Asif Ali, 6 Hussain Talat, 7 Faheem Ashraf / Iftikhar Ahmed, 8 Mohammad Nawaz, 9 Hasan Ali, 10 Haris Rauf, 11 Usman Qadir
Glenton Stuurman and Pite van Biljon may get debates for South Africa, and the depressing strategy of George Linde, Jon-Jon Smuts and Tabraiz Shamsi could all be seen.
South Africa: 1 Janneman Malan, 2 Reeza Hendricks, 3 Jon-Jon Smuts, 4 David Miller, 5 Heinrich Klaasen (capt & wk), 6 Pite van Biljon, 7 Dwaine Pretorius, 8 George Linde, 9 Lutho Sipamla 10 Tabraiz Shamsi, 11 Glenton Stuurman
Park and conditions
Lahore’s dry, sunny late weather means Gaddafi’s surface should be absolutely perfect for a scoring run. There isn’t bad weather about either, and a full game should play out.
Stats and trivia
- South Africa has never lost a T20I series to Pakistan.
- Statistically, there is no obvious answer as to which side wins the toss that should be made at Gaddafi Stadium. Initial batting results in six winners in T20Is, and five were defeated.
- Miller 99 needs to run this series to leapfrog his team-mate Faf du Plessis as the third-highest T20I runner-up for South Africa.
Quotes
“We’re here to win. We’re here to represent the Proteas in the best light possible, whether you played your first game or your 100th game.”
David Miller He does not want his new side in South Africa to make excuses against Pakistan
Danyal Rasool is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo. @ Danny61000