Pakistan announce Playing XI for first ODI against South Africa

PAARL: Pakistan announced the playing XI for the first one day international (ODI) against South Africa going to be played at Boland Park in Paarl, South Africa.

Led by wicket-keeping batter Mohammad Rizwan, the Pakistan side will look to take a lead in the three-match series as the action will be shifted to Cape Town and Johannesburg for the second and third matches respectively on December 19 and 22.

The two teams are set to face off in the first game at 95M (Pakistan Time).

According to playing XI announced by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Saim Ayub and Abdullah Shafique will open the innings with Babar Azam, who was rested during the ODI series against Zimbabwe, batting at No.3.

Captain Mohammad Rizwan will be batting at No. 4 followed by Kamran Ghulam and all-rounders Salman Ali Agha and Irfan Khan Niazi. The pace trio Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf will also be in action with Abrar Ahmed in the side as the main spinner.

Meanwhile, South Africa’s captain Temba Bavuma is set to miss the first ODI and Aiden Markram will lead the team in his absence.

Temba Bavuma has been rested to manage his workload ahead of the crucial two-match Test series against Pakistan. However, he is likely to feature in the next two ODIs.

The two-match Test series between Pakistan and South Africa will kick off in Centurion on December 26, followed by the second Test in Cape Town, starting from January 3.

Pakistan ODI Squad: Mohammad Rizwan (c)(wk), Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufyan Moqim, Tayyab Tahir and Usman Khan (wk).

South Africa ODI Squad: Temba Bavuma (c), Ottneil Baartman, Tony de Zorzi, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Kwena Maphaka, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Andile Phehlukwayo, Kagiso Rabada, Tristan Stubbs, Ryan Rickelton, Tabraiz Shamsi, Rassie van der Dussen.