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- Former captain Babar Azam hasn’t played for Pakistan in T20Is since December last year
- Three-match T20I series will be played in Rawalpindi and Lahore from Oct. 28-Nov. 1
ISLAMABAD: Cricket fans in South Africa and Pakistan will watch their T20I clash today, Tuesday, with anticipation as it marks the return of star batters Babar Azam and Quinton de Kock back to the shortest format of the game.
South Africa take on Pakistan in the first T20I of the series in Rawalpindi today after the two sides drew the recently concluded Test series 1-1. Explosive batter de Kock, who has retired from ODIs, never officially walked away from T20I cricket but he hadn’t played for South Africa since last year’s T20 World Cup final until his return against Namibia earlier this month.
Azam, on the other hand, is yet to play any T20 cricket since the end of the Pakistan Super League’s latest edition in May, around the time his omission from Pakistan’s shortest-form squad began. The former Pakistan captain was excluded from the squad over concerns regarding his low strike rate and poor form.
“The first T20 of three-match series between Pakistan and South Africa will be played in Rawalpindi on Tuesday,” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported. “The match will start at 8:00 pm.”
Other than Azam, Pakistan will see the return of pacer Naseem Shah, once a mainstay in Pakistan’s squad, to the shortest format of the game.
South Africa have rested some of their key players for the series with a full tour of India ahead. Experienced batters Aiden Markram and Tristan Stubbs have been rested while David Miller withdrew with injury. Donovan Ferreira, who has played nine intermittent T20Is, has been handed the captaincy of the squad while spinner Keshav Maharaj has also been rested.
Despite some major South African players missing from the squad, Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha said on Monday he sees the series as an opportunity to build toward the World Cup next year.
“We need to further our preparations and overcome the mistakes we committed in the Asia Cup,” Agha, whose side finished runners-up in the tournament last month, said of the regional event.
Agha said he was excited to see star batter Azam back in the T20I side for the first time since December 2024.
“Azam is a world class player and he will benefit our team with his batting,” he said. “We have good batters and bowlers in the side so we need to build up toward the World Cup.”
The remaining two matches of the series are on Friday and Saturday, both in the eastern city of Lahore.