Spirited Pakistan
is ready to take on Proteas in the first of 5-match ODI series today at Chevrolet
Park on a high note after winning the Twenty20 series convincingly under
the captaincy of Muhammad Hafeez.
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| South Africa Vs. Pakistan (Live Streaming): Spirited Pakistan vows to give tough time to hosts |
The ODI series is equally important
for Pakistan and South Africa to improve their ranking in 50-over version of
the game. Right now the Proteas have slipped to fourth place in the rankings,
while Pakistan are sixth on a tightly-bunched table.
Since Gary Kirsten took over as South African
coach in June 2011 their Test team has stood high persistently to the top of
the International Cricket Council rankings. The performances of the one-day
side, though, have been patchy a bit. Therefore, Proteas will not let
the chance go to better their position after this series and they can earn a
top spot if they managed to clean-sweep the series.
Gary Kirsten, the present coach of South
Africa, said his team could play as many as 20 One-Day Internationals (ODI)
before their next Test series, against Pakistan in the UAE in October and
November.
“It’s nice to have an extended period of ODIs,”
he said. “This is an important period for the ODI team.”
Of immediate concern for South Africa is the ICC Champions
Trophy in England in June, the team's next major engagement after the Pakistan
series.
The
country's consistent failure to win big tournaments is one of the issues that
Kirsten has pledged to address.
Although
South Africa have a less than stellar one-day record of 10 wins and eight losses
under Kirsten, the coach is not over-concerned because the international
schedule has dictated an emphasis on five-day cricket.
"We
have had a lot of Test cricket," he said.
Nor
was he concerned about a lop-sided 95-run defeat in a Twenty20 international at
Centurion last Sunday, which he dismissed as a "one-off" game,
irrelevant to the one-day challenge.
South
Africa were beaten 2-1 at home by New Zealand in their most recent one-day
series after winning both Tests against the Black Caps by an innings.
Pakistan
shape up as a bigger threat with players such as Shoaib Malik, Shahid Afridi
and the Akmal brothers, Kamran and Umar -- all of whom missed their side's
recent 3-0 Test series defeat -- adding experience and skill to the squad.
The
Pakistanis seem to have most of their bases covered, with a mix of
quick-scoring batsmen and a well-balanced bowling attack, while the fielding in
the Twenty20 match was of a high standard.
South
Africa, though, are likely to be a more organised team than that which lost to
New Zealand -- and a great deal stronger than the T20 side -- with stars such
as Hashim Amla, Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and Test captain Graeme Smith
returning to the squad.
Steyn
will be rested for the first match, though, and Morkel is doubtful because of a
hamstring injury.
Leading
all-rounder Jacques Kallis will not be in action as he is being rested as part
of a programme to extend the career of the 37-year-old.
Probable
squads:
Pakistan: Misbah-ul-Haq (captain), Mohammad
Hafeez, Nasir Jamshed, Asad Shafiq, Younis Khan, Shoaib Malik, Kamran Akmal
(wkt), Umar Akmal, Shahid Afridi, Saeed Ajmal, Mohammad Irfan, Junaid Khan,
Wahab Riaz, Umar Gul, Imran Farhat, Abdur Rehman.
South Africa: AB de Villiers (captain/wkt),
Kyle Abbott, Hashim Amla, Farhaan Behardien, Faf du Plessis, Colin Ingram, Rory
Kleinveldt, Ryan McLaren, David Miller, Morne Morkel, Robin Peterson, Aaron
Phangiso, Graeme Smith, Dale Steyn, Lonwabo Tsotsobe.
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