Whereas South Africa’s Take a look at crew was on the sphere in opposition to Sri Lanka in Gqeberha, a separate group of gamers had been in Pretoria getting ready for a Twenty20 collection in opposition to Pakistan.
The T20 squad, captained by Heinrich Klaasen, flew to Durban on Sunday the place the primary T20I will probably be performed on Tuesday — the day after South Africa wrapped up a Take a look at win in Gqeberha.
It’s the first of six white-ball matches—three T20 internationals and three one-day internationals—to be performed by Pakistan earlier than it meets South Africa in two Take a look at matches.
Solely Ryan Rickelton of the present South African Take a look at crew is because of play within the T20 collection – though common white-ball captain Aiden Markram in addition to Tristan Stubbs, Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen would all be possible selections in a full-strength crew.
Pakistan, too, will make a number of modifications between codecs, with solely white-ball captain Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam, Saim Ayub and Salman Ali Agha resulting from play in all three collection.
South African white-ball coach Rob Walter has known as up quick bowler Anrich Nortje and left-arm wrist spinner Tabraiz Shamsi for the T20 collection.
Nortje and Shamsi had been South Africa’s main bowlers on the T20 World Cup, serving to the crew attain the ultimate. However they’ve opted out of nationwide contracts so as to play in franchise tournaments world wide.
Regardless of the profitable World Cup marketing campaign, Walter is underneath strain due to South Africa’s poor file in bilateral collection – they’ve misplaced 5 and drawn two of seven collection – however he has seldom been capable of discipline a full-strength crew.
Pakistan is coming off a white-ball tour of Zimbabwe, the place it received each the one-day and T20 collection. Earlier than that it was in Australia the place it misplaced all three T20 matches however received a one-day collection 2-1.
Pakistan will discipline a powerful quick bowling line-up in each white-ball collection, together with Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf, who will not be a part of their Take a look at squad.
The T20 squad contains left-arm wrist spinner Sufyan Moqim, who took 5 wickets for simply three runs within the second T20I in opposition to Zimbabwe in Bulawayo final Tuesday.