Two teams who lost their opening games to New Zealand now face each other, with the winner set to book their place in the Tri-nation Series final against the Kiwis. Both Pakistan and South Africa have their task cut out, and ahead of the third match here are our match preview and predictions.
Also read: Pakistan Cricket Board Sponsors 2024 | Cricket South Africa Sponsors 2024
The Proteas were solid with the bat in their opening game as Matthew Breetzke scored a stellar 150 on his ODI debut, while contributions from Jason Smith and Wiaan Mulder got them to 304/6. Given the relatively inexperienced batting lineup, captain Temba Bavuma and the likes of Kyle Verreynne will need to step up going forward. The big boost for South Africa will be the availability of Heinrich Klaasen.
That said, they were very ordinary with the ball as well, as two of their most experienced bowlers, Lungi Ngidi and Tabraiz Shamsi, leaked runs without picking up any wickets. On a flat wicket, the slow Proteas bowlers will have to step up, with the likes of Senuran Muthusamy and Keshav Maharaj being key.
Pakistan, on the other hand, had a poor outing with the bat as well in their opener. Barring Fakhar Zaman and Salman Agha, none of their batters got going. On home conditions, they will need their experienced batters like Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan to step up.
With the ball, Shaheen Shah Afridi leaked runs in the opening game, going at almost nine an over, though he did chip in with three wickets. In particular, Haris Rauf’s injury would be a massive concern for the Pakistan camp.
This match will be the first ODI at the National Stadium in Karachi in almost two years, and the strip should bring out plenty of runs, with the seamers getting some assistance early on. Count on Pakistan to hit back after an embarrassing loss in the first game.
Fantasy XI: Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Temba Bavuma, Heinrich Klaasen, Salman Agha, Mohammad Rizwan, Wiaaan Mulder, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Abrar Ahmed, Tabraiz Shamsi, Keshav Maharaj
Venue: Karachi
Winners Prediction: Pakistan
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