Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India] : If Pakistan envisages reaching the semi-finals at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, then they simply must find their best form and defeat a surging South Africa in Chennai.
Pakistan have shown glimpses of their best so far with two wins from five matches, but have yet to have all aspects of their game peaking at once.
They will need to be firing on all cylinders against a powerful South Africa outfit who have been one of the most impressive teams in India with four wins and just one blemish to their name thus far.
That loss was a shock defeat at the hands of the Netherlands and it is no coincidence that was the only time that the Proteas’ strong batting order didn’t click.
With Quinton de Kock, Heinrich Klaasen, Aiden Markram, Rassie van der Dussen and David Miller all in good touch, opposition bowlers have struggled to contain South Africa’s batters and this is what Pakistan’s bevy of quicks will need to do in Chennai.
Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf will be key factors with the ball for Pakistan and the pair must claim early wickets while the ball is swinging or yet another high-scoring encounter will be likely.
Meanwhile in an interview to Pakistan news channel Geo TV, Pakistan’s batting coach Andrew Puttick said that the Men in Green were still hopeful of pulling off wins in their remaining World Cup matches.
“Our backs are against the wall, but we still have a chance, and there’s no option now. We have to go and do the business and bring our best. I’m pretty confident we can get the ball rolling starting on Friday,” he told Geo News.
Squads
Pakistan squad: Babar Azam (c), Shadab Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Mohammad Rizwan, Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Salman Ali Agha, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Wasim.
South Africa squad: Temba Bavuma (c), Gerald Coetzee, Quinton de Kock, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Andile Phehlukwayo, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Rassie van der Dussen, Lizaad Williams
