Summary Here we look at 4 players that would be expected to play a vital role in today’s match.
(Web Desk) - After having been outplayed by arch rivals India, the young Pakistani team are looking to bounce back against the mighty South Africans who won their opening match against opponents Sri Lanka in a rather one-sided affair.
Pakistan lost the plot earlier on in their opening match courtesy of costly errors both on and off the field. Pakistan’s ability to bounce back and surprise their opponents is never in question but whether the team learns from their mistakes and capitalizes on given opportunities remains to be seen.
For Pakistan to have any hope of qualifying to the Semi-Finals of this year’s Champions Trophy, a win is all but necessary. Here we look at some players that would be expected to play a vital role in today’s match.
Fakhar Zaman
In the pre-match press conference on Tuesday, Captain Sarfraz Ahmad announced the inclusion of Fakhar Zaman in place of Ahmad Shehzad. Fakhar’s inclusion is deserved to say the least. The 27-year-old from Mardan has impressed the selectors with his performances in the Pakistan Super League and thus his inclusion could prove to be a plus point for the men in green
Fakhar could be the surprise package for the South Africans and his aggressive approach up top is exactly what Pakistan requires at the moment. His partnership with fellow opener Azhar Ali would be key and a left hand-right hand combination could be a cause of concern for the South African bowlers.
Shoaib Malik
In the all important tussle against India, veteran Shoaib Malik looked set to accelerate and provide his team with a necessary push before being run out unluckily courtesy brilliant piece of fielding by Ravindra Jadeja.
An in-form Shoaib Malik is always dangerous for the opposition and indeed the fans back home have high expectations from the experienced all-rounder. Malik’s ability to score at a healthy strike rate is good news for his team and on his day dismantling the opposition later in the innings is never a problem for the 35-year-old.
Apart from his batting, Malik is known to contribute with a wicket or two when the going gets tough. Over the past few years Malik’s off-breaks have been used by the captains as means to break crucial partnerships. His experience on the field will also play a pivotal role in today’s crucial match.
Junaid Khan
After having been ignored by the management in the previous match against India, Junaid Khan is all set to make a comeback against South Africa today. The 27-year-old’s inclusion was confirmed by the team management yesterday. Junaid Khan will replace Wahab Riaz who is expected to take a week-long rest after been declared unfit follwoing the match against India.
Junaid Khan has been in and out of the team since his exceptional performances in India in 2012. Today’s match could may well prove to be a turning point for Junaid as he looks to win back his fans with a good day with the ball. Junaid Khan will look to repeat the success he had against South Africa in 2013 when he successfully defended a meager 9 runs in the final over to hand Pakistan its first ever series victory in South Africa.
Unlike Wahab Riaz, Junaid relies more on swing rather than bounce; something that could hurt the batsmen in the earlier overs considering the overhead conditions.
Sarfraz Ahmad
Captain Sarfraz Ahmad would be very disappointed with his team’s overall as well as his own individual performance against India. Against South Africa he must know that there is absolutely no margin for error and hence no less than a fight is expected from his side.
Sarfraz is not only a good batsman but also a quick learner; something that would help him groom eventually. Sarfraz’s ability to score quick runs down the order is what Pakistan requires and his record against today’s opposition is fairly decent. His score of 49 up the order against the Proteas in the 2015 World Cup helped his team bag a surprise win.
Sarfraz must take help from seniors like Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Hafeez in crunch situations and avoid making mistakes like he did in the opening match.
