CAPE TOWN: After being thrashed 3-0 in the Test series and then going down fighting 3-2 in the five-match ODI series, Pakistan now face South Africa in the Twenty20 battle when the first of the three games start here at Newlands on Friday.

Pakistan, the No.1 T20 side, had a magnificent run in 2018 during which they won an astounding 17 out of 19 T20 Internationals.

What will excite the tourists more is the venue for the first game. Newlands has been a happy hunting T20 venue for Pakistan who hold a pretty ordinary record at the same venue in ODIs and T20s against South Africa. Pakistan have won three out of the three T20 Internationals they have played at Newlands.

Contrarily, South Africa hold a very poor T20 record at the venue where they have clinched just three of the 17 games they have played.

But what is it that makes Pakistan such a potent attack in the shortest format of the game? The core group has mostly remained same across formats, but it is the balance of the side that has swung things in favour of the visitors recently.

In Fakhar Zaman and Babar Azam they have an explosive opening combination and with that follows the experienced heads of Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Hafeez. While regular captain Sarfraz Ahmed has been banned for four games, his replacement Mohammad Rizwan has been hugely successful on the ‘A’ circuit. All-rounders Faheem Ashraf and Imad Wasim have been in excellent touch as well.

Pakistan’s bowling resources are richer. Lanky left-armer Shaheen Shah Afridi has been the find of the tour with the 20-year-old earning everyone’s praise with his subtle movement and swing. Hasan Ali and Mohammad Amir are likely to lead the pace attack and with Shadab Khan leading the spin department the tourists boast of a well-rounded attack.

Pakistan haven’t lost a bilateral T20 International series since January 2016 and have won a total of 11 T20 series on the bounce since. They are certainly on a roll and will be keen to continue that run come Cape Town.

South Africa, on the other hand, having won the Test and ODI series will be wanting to keep the momentum going into the T20s as well. They have rested some of their key players in Kagiso Rabada and Dale Steyn but still have a more than potent unit to defeat any side.

Quinton de Kock, Faf du Plessis, Rassie van der Dussen and Reeza Hendricks all displayed solid form in the ODI series and will be keen on continuing the run here too while Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller would want to make use of the chances having not performed up to the mark.

The bowling unit will be led by Chris Morris and Andile Phehlukwayo while the newcomers pacer Lutho Sipamla and wicket-keeper batsman Gihahn Cloete might also get a chance at some stage.

Sipamla had impressed one and all by his efforts in the Mzansi Super League where he finished the third-highest wicket taker of the tournament and he will be keen on making a name for himself at the highest level as well.

Teams (from):

SOUTH AFRICA: Faf du Plessis (captain), Gihahn Cloete, Junior Dala, Quinton de Kock, Beuran Hendricks, Reeza Hendricks, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Chris Morris, Willem Mulder, Andile Phehlukwayo, Tabraiz Shamsi, Rassie van der Dussen, Lutho Sipamla

PAKISTAN: Asif Ali, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Hasan Ali, Hussain Talat, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Hafeez, Sahibzada Farhan, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shoaib Malik (captain), Usman Khan, Mohammad Rizwan.

Published in Dawn, February 1st, 2019