Pak vs SA: Green shirts take on Proteas in first T20 today

• Considering the T20 World Cup is just around eight months away, the teams will be hoping to get as much practice as possible in the T20Is.
• Pakistan are expecting the same performance that the team showed in Test series.
• South African skipper says we are looking to win.

LAHORE: Pakistan would be looking to draw first blood when they take on South Africa in the first T20I of the three-match series at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium today.

Currently, Pakistan are in top form at home and they showed this in Karachi and Rawalpindi Test matches that they are capable of dominating good teams with their batting as well as their bowling.

After two big victories, they will be riding high and be looking forward to carrying their form in the shortest format as well.

Considering the ICC Men's T20 World Cup is just around eight months away, the teams will be hoping to get as much practice as possible in the T20Is.

Here's the complete schedule of Pak vs SA T20 series

Depleted South Africa

The visitors will be without most of their regular players with wicketkeeper-batsman Heinrich Klaasen leading the side. Only four players from the Test squad will be featuring in the T20I one. They have three uncapped players on their list – fast bowler Okuhle Cele, wicketkeeper-batsman Ryan Rickelton and batsman Jacques Snyman.

The series provides them a good opportunity to build a solid bench keeping the T20 World Cup in mind.

However, the skipper is confident that they are in a good position to give tough time to the home time and rubbished the perception about being “a second-string T20 squad”.

"We are looking to win. South Africa has got loads of talent, which people sometimes don’t see because we only have six franchises," Heinrich Klassen said.

Read more: Pakistan will continue winning run in T20s, team's morale high, says Misbah ul Haq

Options for Pakistan

For Pakistan too, there will be some notable omissions. Mohammad Hafeez has been left out, so has been Shadab Khan, who captained the side in the T20Is against New Zealand. They have four uncapped options available – left-arm spinner Zafar Gohar, all-rounder Danish Aziz, leg-spinner Zahid Mehmood and bowling all-rounder Amad Butt.

They will also be boosted by the presence of Hasan Ali, who was recalled for the T20Is. Hasan was brilliant in the Test series, picking up a 10-wicket haul in the second match.

Pakistan are expecting the same performance that the team showed in Test series.

Talking to media earlier, Pakistan’s bowling coach Waqar Younis said, “the result of the Test series will have an impact on the T20I series. I can’t predict the ultimate result of the T20 series, but you will definitely see good results."

Head to Head

The last time, Pakistan played South Africa in a bilateral T20I series was back in 2018/19. It was South Africa's home series and they won it 2-1. But with a depleted side this time around, the visitors will face a tough task against a strong Pakistan outfit.

Also, South Africa have won only two of their last nine T20Is. In contrast, Pakistan, who have a better record, winning seven out of their last 10 completed T20Is.

Squads (from):

Pakistan: Babar Azam (captain), Haider Ali, Khushdil Shah, Hussain Talat, Danish Aziz, Asif Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Zafar Gohar, Faheem Ashraf, Aamer Yamin, Amad Butt, Mohammad Rizwan, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Hasan Ali, Usman Qadir, Zahid Mahmood

South Africa: Heinrich Klaasen (captain), Nandre Burger, Okuhle Cele, Junior Dala, Bjorn Fortuin, Reeza Hendricks, George Linde, Janneman Malan, David Miller, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius, Ryan Rickelton, Tabraiz Shamsi, Lutho Sipamla, Jon-Jon Smuts, Pite van Biljon, Glenton Stuurman, Jacques Snyman.