South Africa vs Pakistan Preview: Team News & Prediction | 1st T20 International
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Pakistan begin an all-format tour of South Africa with a three-match T20i series, which starts here in Durban.
Date/Time: Tuesday December 10th 2024: US PST – 8:00am / US EST – 11:00am / UK – 4:00pm
Venue: Hollywoodbets Kingsmead, Durban, South Africa
Weather: Light rain could disrupt this game, so keep an eye on the forecast throughout the day.
How To Watch On TV: UK – Sky Sports / US – Willow TV
How To Watch Online: UK – Sky Go / US – Willow TV
South Africa Form: Getting back to winning ways the priority
Heinrich Klaasen captains this South African side, which is depleted due to the number of players missing following their involvement in the Test series against Sri Lanka. Tristan Stubbs, Kagiso Rabada, Marco Jansen and regular white ball skipper Aiden Markram are among those set to be unavailable, although fast bowler Anrich Nortje should be involved.
LAST THREE: LLW
Pakistan Form: On the back of Zimbabwe series win
A Pakistan team shorn of many first-choice white ball players got the better of Zimbabwe in Bulawayo and now aim to back this up in South Africa. Taking the stronger opposition into account, Pakistan have recalled their main stars such as batter Babar Azam, wicket-keeper Mohammmad Rizwan and left-arm pacer Shaheen Shah Africa, all of whom are likely to play.
LAST THREE: LWW
South Africa Betting Analysis
The pitch in Kingsmead will play a big part when it comes to bettors deciding who the best investments are for this first T20i. But one thing’s for sure, Heinrich Klaasen won’t die wondering, regardless of the conditions. Six-hitting is his specialty when considering the stand-in captain’s scary power and ‘long levers’ at his disposal. Expect Klaasen to attack Pakistan’s bowlers aggressively and consider a stake on him to record over 1.5 total match sixes.
Pakistan Betting Analysis
The likelihood is that Mohammad Rizwan will open the batting for Pakistan, with a view to taking advantage of the powerplay and the majority South Africa’s fielders being inside the circle. Regardless of whether his side are setting or chasing a target, Rizwan will want to get them off to a fast start and it would be no surprise to see him accumulate quickly. Bettors should assess the value of backing Rizwan to score over 25.5 match runs.
South Africa vs Pakistan Expert Prediction
Whilst we should see a stronger Pakistan side than what we did in Zimbabwe when taking into account the players coming back into their squad, South Africa are depleted in contrast. Not having their regular is also a big blow as Markram has proven to be a very good leader for the Proteas, not to mention he has the ability to win games single-handedly with the bat. These factors lean us to favour Pakistan in this first T20i.
South Africa vs Pakistan Tip: Pakistan to win
