Pakistan, who had the bitter taste of a hat-trick defeat in the current World Cup, won the toss against South Africa in their sixth match today and lost 5 wickets for 141 runs. Pakistan has no choice but to win today’s match to keep their semi-final hopes alive.
Pakistan broke the opening pair by just 20 runs against South Africa today. Abdullah Shafiq returned after being caught by Lungi Ngidi off Marco Janssen. He scored 9 runs off 17 balls before getting out. Pakistan’s opening pair was broken by 20 runs on his departure.
Another opener Imam-ul-Haq could not stay at the crease for a long time after Shafiq’s departure. The team went back to Sajghar after being the second victim of Marco Jansen for 38 runs. He returned with 12 runs off 18 balls. On his departure, Pakistan lost 2 wickets for 38 runs.
After losing 2 wickets for 38 runs, Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan took control of the team’s disaster. The duo tries to save the team from disaster. But this pair was broken by Mohammad Rizwan’s departure for the team’s 86 runs.
Rizwan Gerald Coetzee, who scored 31 runs off 27 balls, went back to Sajghar. The pair of 48 runs broke in his departure.
Babar Azam paired with Iftikhar Ahmed after Rizwan’s departure. Pakistan was moving towards a big collection based on this pair. Kistu’s team was broken by the departure of Iftikhar Ahmed for 129 runs.
Iftikhar Tabraiz Shamsi, who scored 31 runs off 27 balls, went back to Sajghar. Iftikhar returned but captain Babar Azam brought up a personal half-century against the Proteas.
Today he made a personal half century off 64 balls. Which includes 4 fours and 1 six. However, despite picking up a half-century, he could not take his innings further.
He returned to be Tabraiz Shamsi’s second victim for the team’s 141 runs. Scored 50 runs off 65 balls before getting out. On his departure, Pakistan lost 5 wickets for 141 runs.
Pakistan-South Africa in two poles in the current World Cup. Pakistan, who opened the tournament with defeats to Netherlands and Sri Lanka, have lost their last three matches against India, Australia and neighboring Afghanistan. Babar Azam’s team is on the edge of the abyss after losing consecutively. The remaining 4 matches must be won to keep the hope of the semi-finals alive. South Africa have won 50 of the 82 ODIs played so far, compared to 31 for Pakistan. The Proteas are ahead of the two teams in the World Cup. While South Africa has three wins out of five matches, Pakistan has won two matches. Pakistan’s two wins have come to show the last two.
There are two changes in the eleven of the two teams in the sixth round of the World Cup. South African captain Temba Bavuma returned to the team after two matches. Riza Hendricks has been dropped to replace the captain. Apart from this, Tabraiz Shamsi has been included in the team as a specialist spinner in place of star pacer Kagiso Rabada.
On the other hand, Pak pacer Hasan Ali is not playing against South Africa due to illness. In his place, another pacer Mohammad Wasim Jr. has been taken into the team today. Besides, Mohammad Nawaz has returned to replace Osama Mir.
Pakistan XI: Abdullah Shafiq, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam (captain), Mohammad Rizwan, Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Wasim Jr. and Haris Rauf.
South Africa XI: Quinton de Kock, Temba Bavuma (captain), Rasi van der Dusen, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Marco Janssen, Gerald Coetzee, Keshav Maharaj, Tabraiz Shamsi and Lungi Ngidi.
(27 October/NBW/EH)