Pakistan aim to capitalize on their 2-0 victory in the Test series against South Africa when they take on South Africa in the three-match Twenty20 series that begins on Thursday. (More Cricket News)
After blanking South Africa 2-0 in the Test series, a confident Pakistan will take on the Proteas in the first of three T20I matches on Thursday. It was Pakistan's first Test series win in 18 years.
On the eve of the series opener in Lahore, Pakistan bowling coach Waqar Younis confidently said that he "can't predict the ultimate result of the T20 series, but you will definitely see good results.” And the legendary fast bowler added that "the result of Test series will have an impact on the Twenty20 series".
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Waqar was the bowling coach when a second-string Sri Lanka routed Pakistan 3-0 at Lahore in 2019. The result saw Sarfaraz Ahmed being stripped of the captaincy and Babar Azam was chosen as the white-ball skipper before eventually being named as all-format captain after Pakistan lost the Test series in England last year.
This time around, Waqar is not underestimating second-string South Africa without their T20 regulars -- captain Quinton de Kock, Faf du Plessis, Rassie van der Dussen, Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi. They were all part of the Proteas' Test squad in Pakistan but flew home as South Africa planned to prepare for the three-Test series against Australia, which was postponed.
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Match and telecast details:
Match: Pakistan vs South Africa, first T20I match
Date: February 11 (Thursday), 2021
Time: 4:00 PM IST/3:30 PM IST
Venue: Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, Pakistan
(Live SCORECARD and BALL-BALL-BY COMMENTARY - Available after the toss)
TV Channels: Sony Network in India, PTV Sports in Pakistan, SuperSport in South Africa, Sky Sports Cricket in UK.
Live Streaming: SonyLiv in India.
Team News
The South Africa Twenty20 squad was en route to Pakistan when Australia pulled out of the series and eventually it was too late for the Proteas to keep some of the members of test squad in Pakistan.
The Proteas, led by Heinrich Klaasen, have only David Miller in their lineup with some experience of playing in Pakistan. Miller toured Pakistan in 2017 with a World XI side which played three-match Twenty20 series with du Plessis as its skipper.
There are three uncapped players fast bowler Okuhle Cele, wicketkeeper-batsman Ryan Rickelton and batsman Jacques Snyman as South Africa look to form a pool of players before the Twenty20 World Cup later this year.
“We are by no means a second-string T20 squad and we are looking to win,” Klaasen had said on Tuesday. “South Africa has got loads of talent, which people sometimes don't see because we only have six franchises.”
Hasan Ali, who returned to international cricket in the Test series against South Africa after two years due to injuries, is part of Pakistan's Twenty20 squad with Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf to give Pakistan a formidable pace attack. Ali took his maiden ten-wicket haul in the second and final Test.
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Pakistan had to leave out Mohammad Hafeez after he couldn't join the team's bio-secure bubble in Lahore by the February 3 deadline. The veteran batsman was in competing in the Abu Dhabi T10.
There are three uncapped players fast bowler Okuhle Cele, wicketkeeper-batsman Ryan Rickelton and batsman Jacques Snyman as South Africa look to form a pool of players before the Twenty20 World Cup later this year.
Squads
Pakistan: Babar Azam, Haider Ali, Khushdil Shah, Hussain Talat, Danish Aziz, Asif Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Zafar Gohar, Faheem Ashraf, Aamer Yamin, Amad Butt, Mohammad Rizwan, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Hasan Ali, Usman Qadir, Zahid Mehmood.
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South Africa: Heinrich Klaasen, Nandre Burger, Okuhle Cele, Junior Dala, Bjorn Fortuin, Reeza Hendricks, George Linde, Janneman Malan, David Miller, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius, Ryan Rickelton, Tabraiz Shamsi, Lutho Sipamla, Jon-Jon Smuts, Pite van Biljon, Glenton Stuurman, Jacques Snyman.
(With agency inputs)
