South Africa will take on Pakistan in a three-match T20 series from 10-14 December. Home advantage should give the Proteas the edge.
The first T20 will be at Kingsmead in Durban on 10 December. The second will be at the SuperSport Park in Centurion three days later. The teams will play again at Centurion on 14 December.
Why South Africa Are Expected To Win
In this series, they can win. The Proteas lost a recent T20 series 3-1 to India, but they made the final at the recent T20 World Cup. On home soil, they should be strong enough to see off Pakistan. The visitors lost 3-0 in a T20 international series against Australia and will need a drastic improvement to beat the Proteas.
At the T20 World Cup, even the USA humiliated Pakistan. The Proteas are not at the top of their game in the 20-over format, but they are at least faring better than their visitors. Following the three-match T20 series, the teams will contest an ODI series, also over the course of three matches.
Team News
Fakhar Zaman is set to return to the Pakistani ODI squad following his exclusion during the series against Australia. His omission, reportedly a disciplinary measure by the PCB, came after he publicly criticised the board led by Mohsin Naqvi. Fakhar’s tweet questioned Babar Azam’s removal from the national side.
The matter was resolved after Fakhar apologised, paving the way for his comeback. Alongside Fakhar, former captain Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi will rejoin the squad, while Naseem Shah is also set to feature. The reintegration of these key players signals a bid to bolster the team ahead of upcoming challenges.
At the time of writing, South Africa’s squad has not been announced. Pakistan still have to finish their T20 international series against Zimbabwe.
