Match No. 36, of the T20 World Cup 2022, Pakistan vs South Africa will be played on Thursday, in Sydney.
South Africa will begin the competition as heavy favourites, especially after defeating an in-form India squad on their previous trip.
Pakistan will begin the competition as an underdog after winning only one of three games, including a setback against Zimbabwe. That setback has taken control of Pakistan’s quest to participate in the semi-finals, as they are now reliant on other outcomes to keep their last-four chances alive.
The management is also concerned about the record of skipper Babar Azam, who has yet to score in double figures in the competition despite playing three innings. The management will be hopeful that the players, particularly the captain, will bring their A-game when they meet South Africa on Thursday.
The onus will be on captain Babar, wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan, Shan Masood, Fakhar Zaman, and Iftikhar Ahmed to score the majority of the runs and give the bowlers something significant to defend.
Pacers Haris Rauf, Naseem Shan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Mohammad Wasim Jnr, as well as spinners Shadab Khan and Mohammad Nawaz, will be expected to deliver timely breakthroughs and limit the opposition.
On the other side, the Proteas’ coaching staff will be hopeful that the players continue to produce similar types of performances in future encounters. The form of Captain Temba Bavuma, who has only scored 14 runs in three innings in the mega-event, will be a source of concern for everyone concerned.
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In the batting side, in-form players such as wicketkeeper-batter Quinton de Kock, top-order batter Rilee Rossouw, seasoned David Miller, dynamic Tristan Stubbs, and explosive Aiden Markram will be expected to score the majority of the runs and provide something for the bowlers to bowl with.
On the bowling front, the fast bowlers Kagiso Rabada, Wayne Parnell, Anrich Nortje, and Lungi Ngidi, as well as the spin combo of Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi, will be expected to limit the opposition by claiming timely breakthroughs.
What have they accomplished thus far?
After losing the first two games of the competition, Pakistan finally got a win when they defeated the Netherlands by six wickets in the T20 World Cup, Super 12 match in Perth on Sunday. Pakistan finished the 92-run chase in 13.5 overs and advanced to the semi-finals. The victory also provided a significant boost to their run rate.
Meanwhile, South Africa is the only team from Group 2 that has yet to lose a game in this competition. After starting the tournament by swapping points with Zimbabwe due to the weather, they came back strong to thrash Bangladesh in their following encounter.
In their most recent game against India, David Miller batted unbeaten on 59 off 46 balls to help the Proteas reach their goal of 134. Lungi Ngidi’s four-wicket haul, along with the efforts of the rest of South Africa’s pacers, ensured that India’s batting first was a disaster. Suryakumar Yadav’s 68 off 40 balls, on the other hand, virtually single-handedly propelled India to 133/9.
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Head-to-Head Record Pakistan vs South Africa
Both sides have met 21 times in the format’s history, with the Men in Green holding a small advantage with 11 wins to the Proteas’ ten. Pakistan’s record was even better when the two sides met in the ICC T20 World Cup, which Pakistan won all three times.
The two teams will meet for the first time in over a year, when they last met in Centurion in April 2021. That game was won by the Men in Green by three wickets.
Important Players in the Pakistan vs South Africa Match
South African Rilee Rossouw: Rilee Rossouw has been in consistent form in 2022, having scored two tons in his past three innings. His aggressive batting is South Africa’s most valuable asset, and on genuine batting surfaces, the left-hander can be counted on to deliver. His recent exploits have convinced South Africa that the injured Rassie van der Dussen would not be missed in the middle order.
Pakistan’s Babar Azam: Babar Azam, the tournament’s highest run scorer a year ago, has yet to get going in Australia. With zero, four, and four points in the first three games, Pakistan’s captain desperately needed a point. The Proteas attack, hungry for runs, will have to be mindful of Pakistan’s opener.
Predicted XIs in Pakistan vs South Africa Match:
South Africa: Quinton de Kock (WK), Temba Bavuma (C), Rilee Rossouw, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Wayne Parnell, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Anrich Nortje
Pakistan: Babar Azam (C), Mohammad Rizwan (WK), Fakhar Zaman, Shan Masood, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Shaheen Afridi
Prediction
Both teams will approach the game with opposing morale. Pakistan has a historical advantage, especially considering they have never lost to South Africa in the T20 World Cup, but recent history suggests that the Proteas will be too hot to handle.
On paper, there is little reason to believe that the Bavuma-led outfit would collapse against a Pakistan team that is clearly lacking confidence. South Africa is expected to win a tight game against Pakistan at the SCG.
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