Rawalpindi (Web Desk): Pakistan decided to field first after winning the toss against South Africa in the opening game of the three-match T20I series at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.
Pakistan and South Africa have clashed 25 times in T20 internationals, with neither side holding an edge.
The Two teams share an even record, claiming victory in 12 matches each while one ended without any result.
Both Pakistan and South Africa are set to begin the series with comparable form and mixed emotions.
Pakistan arrive on the back of a disappointing campaign in the ACC Men’s T20 Asia Cup 2025, where they endured three defeats against long-time rivals India, including a crushing loss in the tournament’s historic final.
South Africa, on the other hand, will look to recover from an unexpected stumble earlier this month when they suffered their first-ever defeat to Namibia in international cricket, losing the solitary T20I in Windhoek.
The visitors have also been hit by injury troubles, with veteran batter David Miller and fast bowler Gerald Coetzee ruled out of the white-ball series.
The two sides last met in a T20I series in December last year, which South Africa won 2-0, while the third game had to be abandoned because of rain.
Teams
Pakistan: Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, Babar Azam, Salman Ali Agha (c), Usman Khan (wk), Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah and Abrar Ahmed
South Africa: Quinton de Kock (wk), Reeza Hendricks, Tony de Zorzi, Dewald Brevis, Matthew Breetzke, Donovan Ferreira (c), George Linde, Corbin Bosch, Lizaad Williams, Nandre Burger and Lungi Ngidi