Proteas turn to Pakistan white-ball series

While South Africa’s Test team were on the field against Sri Lanka in Gqeberha, a separate group of players were in Pretoria preparing for a T20I series against Pakistan.

The T20I squad, captained by Heinrich Klaasen, flew to Durban on Sunday where the first T20I will be played on Tuesday – the day after the Proteas wrapped up a Test win in Gqeberha.

It is the first of six white-ball matches – three T20Is and three ODIs – to be played by Pakistan before they meet South Africa in two Tests.

Only Ryan Rickelton of the current Proteas Test team is due to play in the T20I series – although regular white-ball captain Aiden Markram as well as Tristan Stubbs, Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen would all be likely choices in a full-strength team.

Pakistan, too, will make multiple changes between formats, with only white-ball captain Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam, Saim Ayub and Salman Ali Agha due to play in all three series.

Proteas white-ball coach Rob Walter has called up fast bowler Anrich Nortje and left-arm wrist spinner Tabraiz Shamsi for the T20I series.

Nortje and Shamsi were South Africa’s leading bowlers at the T20 World Cup, helping the team reach the final. But they have opted out of national contracts in order to play in franchise tournaments around the world.

Despite their successful World Cup campaign, Walter is under pressure because of South Africa’s poor record in bilateral series – they have lost five and drawn two of seven series – but he has seldom been able to field a full-strength team.

Pakistan are coming off a white-ball tour of Zimbabwe, where they won both the ODI and T20I series.

Before that they were in Australia where they lost all three T20Is but won an ODI series 2-1.

Pakistan will field a strong fast bowling lineup in both white-ball series, including Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf, who are not part of their Test squad.

The T20I squad includes left-arm wrist spinner Sufyan Moqim, who took five wickets for just three runs in the second T20I international against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo last Tuesday.

Proteas T20I squad: Heinrich Klaasen (c, Titans), Ottneil Baartman (Dolphins), Matthew Breetzke (Warriors), Donovan Ferreira (Titans), Reeza Hendricks (Lions), Patrick Kruger (Warriors), George Linde (WP), Kwena Maphaka (Lions), David Miller (Dolphins), Anrich Nortje (Warriors), Nqaba Peter (Lions), Ryan Rickelton (Lions), Tabraiz Shamsi (Titans), Andile Simelane (Dolphins), Rassie van der Dussen (Lions).