Summary Pakistan will take on South Africa in a crucial World Cup Pool B match at Auckland today (Saturday).
AUCKLAND (Agencies) - Pakistan and South Africa will go head to head in a Group B encounter of the ICC World Cup 2015 at Eden Park Auckland today (Saturday).
South Africa have a spotless record against Pakistan in World Cups. During the 1992 edition of the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, South Africa beat Pakistan by 20 runs in a rain truncated affair. In the following edition of the World Cup in 1996, the Proteas emerged victorious again.
That group match was incidentally a home game for Pakistan played at Karachi. The two teams met again in the 1999 World Cup for an enthralling contest that Pakistan looked all set to win before Lance Kluserner s gem of a cameo stole victory from the imminent jaws of defeat. It was one of the most memorable matches from the 1999 edition.
In recent times South Africa have generally had the better of Pakistan at home and away. Although Pakistan had eclipsed South Africa narrowly in a three match ODI series in South Africa. Apart from that South Africa have beaten them twice in the UAE and once at home since 2010.
Everybody is determined. We all know that this is an important game if we really want to progress in this World Cup. We re really focused, determined, and looking forward for this game, Pakistan captain Misbah-Ul-Haqon said on the eve of the game.
Pakistan s challenge remains, firstly, to stop South Africa from putting up another huge total. Should they bat first, Pakistan will need their batsmen to really step up against an attack comprising Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Kyle Abbott, Imran Tahir and the fit-again Vernon Philander. Overall the Pakistan batting has underwhelmed, and few will look deeply into the fifties scored against UAE in Napier two evenings ago. Batting is their weak link, which Misbah acknowledged, and that in turn demands more from Pakistan s bowlers against a marauding South Africa batting line-up.
We know that we ve got a bowling attack where if we cross 250, no team in the world is just, you could say, relaxing chasing that 250, said Misbah. We have our targets, and we play according to our strengths, and the kind of start we had in the last game, if we can repeat it against the top sides, we can manage to score 300. It s all about how you start the game and then how you finish it, so it s really important for us to have good starts, then to just go and score big. I think our bowling has been really doing well. We are confident that we ve got bowlers who can get a wicket against any team. We are confident that we ve got a bowling attack that can really put them under pressure.
South Africa -- positioned second in Pool B table with six points -- have no real form worries, but they could do with a strong score from opener Quinton de Kock who has made 7, 7, 12 and 1 in the World Cup. He is the designated wicketkeeper too, but South Africa can easily call on de Villiers to perform that role. Philander and JP Duminy have come through fitness tests and are fit and available for section, leaving the management with the tough decision of who to drop. In Duminy s absence, Rilee Rossouw scored 61 off 39 balls and 61 not out off 30 balls, two blazing innings that helped the totals past 400. Abbott, drafted in for the injured Philander, has taken six wickets in two games while making incisions up front and at the death.
There are chances of rain on game day, and washout would give Pakistan one point. Considering how scratchy they ve been, as well as how massive the challenge mounted by South Africa is, they may not be too unhappy with a point from this crucial fixture.
