The Proteas are straight back into action on Tuesday as the T20I series against Pakistan gets underway at Hollywoodbets Kingsmead in Durban. Jonhenry Wilson previews.
South Africa v Pakistan – First T20
10 December 2024 – 18:00
Hollywoodbets Kingsmead, Durban
Hollywoodbets Kingsmead is a venue that tends to favour the team batting second – but not so much that the toss is critical. Of the last 17 games played here, the team batting second has won 47.1% of the time. 11.8% of the games have ended with no result.
To Win Match
South Africa 52/100 | Tie 25/1 | Pakistan 31/20
Cricket is coming thick and fast now for Proteas fans as the focus switches from Test cricket to T20 with not even a day in between the fixtures. Such has the separation of skills between the longest and shortest versions of the game diverged that only three of the players who did duty in the Test series win over Sri Lanka are in the squad to face Pakistan in Durban – of those players, Ryan Rickelton, Kwena Maphaka and Matthew Breetzke, only Rickelton featured in the second Test.
Other regular T20I players like regular skipper Aiden Markram, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada and Tristan Stubbs will be rested.
There is good news for South Africa though with both Anrich Nortje and Tabraiz Shamsi returning to the mix. Neither has featured for the Proteas since the T20 World Cup. Nortje, despite his extended absence due to injury is nevertheless the highest-ranked bowler on either side in the ICC player rankings.
As much as South Africa will be without a good number of key players, they do still boast some of the biggest names in the T20 game, with skipper Heinrich Klaasen and batsman David Miller both in the mix. Both will be looking to show what they are capable of after disappointing performances in the recent series against India.
Look out for Proteas batters Rassie van der Dussen and Miller who both boast good averages against Pakistan in South Africa. Both average more than 10 runs better against Pakistan in South Africa than their overall career average.
Durban Super Giants batsman Matthew Breetzke who plays his SA20 cricket out of Hollywoodbets Kingsmead has a T20 average at the venue of 45 from 12 games. He could be a dark horse to shine for South Africa.
Shaheen Shah Afridi faces a potentially watershed tour as he’s been left out of the Test squad following some disappointing recent showings. He is in the mix though for both white-ball series and this could be the moment where he sets out his stall as an out-and-out short-form specialist. With no Test action this summer Afridi will want to make a big impression
The one area where Pakistan appears to have a distinct advantage over South Africa is in their batting class. The only Proteas batsman in the top 20 is Reeza Hendricks in 11th place. Compare that to Pakistan who arrive with Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan at fifth and eighth respectively.
The proteas will be very worried about Babar Azam in particular. Azam has a career T20I average of 40.30. His average against the Proteas in South Africa is 51.57 – it’s safe to say he likes it here. Rizwan’s average against the Proteas is also over 50, although in his case it isn’t as high in South Africa.
Pakistan arrives in South Africa fresh from a series in Zimbabwe. While they were very dominant in the Bulawayo games it wasn’t their experienced bowlers who dominated. It was left-arm wrist spinner Sufiyan Muqeem who was the pick of their attack as he ended the three-match series with figures of nine for 42.
Verdict: Pakistan 31/20
The Proteas have struggled in the shorter forms of the game in recent times. Shorn of some of their biggest stars and with others coming into the series after long layoffs, Pakistan should have too much about them.
