DURBAN: The Pakistan cricket team has intensified preparations for the upcoming three-match T20I series against South Africa.
The team engaged in robust drills, focusing on improving their batting, bowling and fielding skills.
The first T20I match will take place tomorrow, followed by the second game in Centurion on December 13 and the series finale in Johannesburg on December 14.
Pakistan’s newly appointed captain Mohammad Rizwan has experienced a mix of successes and challenges in his tenure as captain so far.
He led the team in the recently concluded ODI and T20I series against Australia, where the Men in Green created history by defeating the Australians 2-1 in the ODI series, their first win on Australian soil in 22 years.
However, the team faced a setback in the T20I series, suffering a 3-0 defeat at the hands of the hosts.
Pakistan then traveled to Zimbabwe for a series of ODIs and T20Is, where they won the ODI series 2-1.
Rizwan was replaced by Salman Ali Agha in the T20I series, which Pakistan won 2–1.
After the T20I series, Pakistan and the Proteas will face each other in a three-match ODI series, with the first ODI scheduled for December 17 in Paarl, the second on December 19 in Cape Town and the final on December 22 in Johannesburg.
The tour will conclude with a two-match Test series, starting with the first Test in Centurion on December 26 and the second Test in Cape Town on January 3, 2025.
The two-match series is part of the 2023-25 ICC World Test Championship (WTC) cycle, with South Africa currently in second place with six wins from 10 matches and a win percentage of 59.26.
Pakistan, on the other hand, are in seventh place with four wins from 10 matches and a win percentage of 33.33.
Pakistan T20I squad: Mohammad Rizwan (captain and week), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Omair Bin Yousuf, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufyan Moqim, Tayyab Tahir and Usman Khan (week)
South Africa T20I squad: Heinrich Klaasen (c), Ottneil Baartman, Matthew Breetzke, Donovan Ferreira, Reeza Hendricks, Patrick Kruger, George Linde, Kwena Maphaka, David Miller, Anrich Nortje, Nqaba Peter, Ryan Rickelton, Tabraiz Shamsi, Andile Simelane, Rassie van der Dussen.
Pakistan to South Africa trip schedule:
