Pakistan vs South Africa Twenty20 heats up, preview
Pakistan is hoping for a comeback after a controversy-hit summer this year. Pakistan plays the first Twenty20 match against South Africa on 26th October, 2010 Tuesday at Sheikh Zayed Stadium Abu Dhabi, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/United-Arab-Emirates-c3033 (U.A.E).
The Cricket http://www.senore.com/Cricket/South-Africa-c757 (CSA) agreed to the proposal of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to hold a series at a neutral venue amidst the security concerns.
Pakistan’s and South Africa’s teams are in U.A.E this October and November to play two Twenty20, five match One Day Internationals (ODI) and two Test matches. Soaring temperatures and humidity are forecasted for the entire week and it looks like both teams
have a tougher challenge ahead.
The Pakistani team is led by the limited overs captain, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Shahid-Afridi-c2482, who hopes that his side can move past the match fixing scandal during the England tour in summer of 2010 as they begin to prepare for next year’s World Cup.
Pakistan not only lost both the test series and ODI series but also their top players. Young fast bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir and former captain Salman Butt were suspended by International Cricket Council (ICC) after being allegedly involved
in spot-fixing.
The tour has already been hit with several differences between the selectors, former players, and coach Waqar Younis complaining that the selection committee has not consulted them before announcing the squad. http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755’s limited-overs group has seventeen
members with eight PCB officials. Despite the dilemma faced by Pakistan off the field, ticket counters were bustling with cricket fans in U.A.E.
The Pakistani side is beginning the tour with the absence of their top batsman Mohammad Yousuf as well due to a hamstring strain. However, Afridi is looking for a “confidence booster” in this tour as the team “desperately needs good results”. He also added
that “Pakistan’s spinners would be playing a major role”, where the turf would provide them with assistance.
South Africa would start the series at a high as they just came off thrashing records against Zimbabwe two days before landing in Dubai. The 272- run record breaking triumph means that the Proteas are in great physical form. The victory also means that they
are in an upbeat frame of mind against a stronger- at least they are known to be- Twenty20 squad.
Even though the Proteas bowling and fielding seemed a bit inconsistent during the series but the mammoth end to the series against Zimbabwe was very impressive. The Proteas won the Twenty20 series 2-0 and had a clean sweep in the ODI series.
South Africa's ODI and Test captain, Graeme Smith said that the team's job is "to go there and play competitive cricket” and that they are not down- playing the Pakistani side as they are very unpredictable and are “one of the best” in Twenty20.
The Proteas Twenty20 side is being lead by http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Johan-Botha-c67173 after Smith stepped down from Twenty20 captaincy in August 2010. He assumed the role on a full-time basis and successfully led his side against Zimbabwe. South Africa’s bowling fielding and batting flourished
and improved greatly in the absence of Jacques Kallis, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Zimbabwe-c3045.
Good news for the Proteas comes in the form of Morne Morkel, who was out for an injury, is now expected to play in the first Twenty20 match on Tuesday as well as http://www.senore.com/Cricket/JP-Duminy-c1742, who is in his best form scoring 96 not out in the T20 in Kimberley against Zimbabwe.
The Proteas have an impressive record against Pakistan in ODI and Test-match formats but were defeated twice by the “men in green” in the T20 World Championships.
The pitch at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium is expected to be slow, which would pose an enormous test for the Proteas as they tackle the threat posed by Pakistani spinners.
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