DURBAN: South Africa won the toss and elected to bat first in the first T20I of the three-match series against Pakistan here at Kingsmead Stadium on Tuesday.
Playing XIs
The touring team made a number of changes to their lineup as key players like Mohammad Rizwan, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Babar Azam returned to the team from the shorter format while all-rounder Salman Ali Agha was dropped.
Pakistan: Mohammad Rizwan (c & wk), Babar Azam, Saim Ayub, Usman Khan, Tayyab Tahir, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Sufiyan Muqeem, Abrar Ahmed.
The home team, on the other hand, also features a revamped line-up, led by stand-in captain Heinrich Klaasen, as their regular captain Aiden Markram was rested for the series.
South Africa: Rassie van der Dussen, Reeza Hendricks, Mathew Breetzke, David Miller, Heinrich Klaasen (c & wk), Donovan Ferreira, George Linde, Andile Simelane, Nqaba Peter, Kwena Maphaka, Ottneil Baartman.
Face to face
Pakistan and South Africa have met 22 times in T20Is, with the former boasting a slightly dominant record with 12 wins compared to the opposition’s 10.
The most recent clash in the format, however, dates back to the 2022 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, where the Green Shirts emerged victorious by 33 runs.
Matches 22, Pakistan 12, South Africa 10
Form Guide
Pakistan and South Africa enter the three-match series with contrasting momentum as the Green Shirts are fresh off a 2-1 victory over Zimbabwe while the Proteas recently suffered a 3-1 defeat against defending champions India.
Pakistan: L, W, W, L, L (newest first)
South Africa: L, L, W, L, L
