Pakistan vs South Africa 1st T20: S Africa set victory target of 193 runs for Pakistan
Pakistan is at top of ICC T20I Team Rankings and will want to assert their supremacy in the format.
(Web Desk) – South Africa has set victory target of 193 runs for Pakistan in the first Twenty-20 International of the three-match series at Cape Town.
Earlier, Pakistan won the toss and sent South Africa in to bat in the first of three Twenty20 internationals at Newlands.
Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik said he did not expect the pitch to change much. "It is more of a tactical decision," he said. The same pitch was used for the final one-day international between the two countries on Wednesday as well as a women s international earlier on Friday.
Malik said Pakistan were keen to build on an outstanding 2018 when Pakistan won 17 out of 19 Twenty20 internationals. "It is more or less the same squad except our captain (suspended Sarfraz Ahmed) is not here," he said.
South African captain Faf du Plessis said he also would have bowled if he had won the toss. The South African team included only four of the players who clinched the one-day series at Newlands on Wednesday.
"It is exciting to give some new guys opportunities," said Du Plessis.
After the low of the Test and ODI series, Pakistan now takes on South Africa in the format they love, are the No.1 ranked side in the world - the Twenty20 Internationals.
Pakistan is at the top of ICC T20I Team Rankings and will want to assert their supremacy in the format.
However, the Proteas will want to bring the momentum from the ODI series into the T20Is. Opener Quinton de Kock, middle-order batsman Rassie van der Dussen and skipper Faf du Plessis were on song in the ODIs.
Pakistan’s all-rounder Muhammad Hafeez is not playing in the first T20 due to injury.
Pakistan have been near unstoppable since the last T20 World Cup, winning 29 of their 33 matches played since, and are up against a Proteas side far less settled in the format, with a squad littered with inexperience at this level.
