SA SHOULD be proud of the way they won their one-day series against Pakistan, but they know they have work to do if they want to celebrate similar success in the T20 rubber starting today.
That’s despite the fact that Faf du Plessis’ team were victorious against Sri Lanka in August, and that in the wake of SA’s poor performance in the one-dayers.
But the bigger picture is that SA, who are fifth in the rankings, have lost six of their last 10 completed T20s and have gone down in four of the seven games they have played against Pakistan in the format.
Pakistan, meanwhile, have reeled off five consecutive T20 victories and are second in the official pecking order. Should they win both this week’s games, they will go top.
“Pakistan have a lot of match-winners, and that’s what T20 is all about – one guy who gets 70 or 80 off a couple of balls, or their attack takes three or four wickets quickly,” said Du Plessis. “They have those danger men in their side.”
On the upside, SA have won both of the T20s they have contested in the United Arab Emirates. The slight downside is that those games were played in Abu Dhabi – not Dubai, where the teams will clash today and on Friday to end SA’s tour.
SA open their World T20 (WT20) campaign against Sri Lanka in Chittagong on March 22. Considering their aluta continua for an International Cricket Council trophy – any trophy, even a plastic throwaway job – these two matches carry more weight than they might have.
SA will play two more T20s against Pakistan at home next week as well as three against Australia in the first two weeks of March to complete their preparation for the WT20.
After his team won the fifth ODI to complete a 4-1 series triumph in Sharjah on Monday, a pleased AB de Villers said:
“We certainly haven’t won a World Cup here tonight, but we definitely took a step in the right direction.”
Henry Davids, Aaron Phangiso and David Wiese are the new faces in SA’s squad.
The casualties from SA’s last T20 squad are Farhaan Behardien, Rory Kleinveldt and Chris Morris.
Proteas must lift play in a new ball game
That’s despite the fact that Faf du Plessis’ team were victorious against Sri Lanka in August, and that in the wake of SA’s poor performance in the one-dayers.
But the bigger picture is that SA, who are fifth in the rankings, have lost six of their last 10 completed T20s and have gone down in four of the seven games they have played against Pakistan in the format.
Pakistan, meanwhile, have reeled off five consecutive T20 victories and are second in the official pecking order. Should they win both this week’s games, they will go top.
“Pakistan have a lot of match-winners, and that’s what T20 is all about – one guy who gets 70 or 80 off a couple of balls, or their attack takes three or four wickets quickly,” said Du Plessis. “They have those danger men in their side.”
On the upside, SA have won both of the T20s they have contested in the United Arab Emirates. The slight downside is that those games were played in Abu Dhabi – not Dubai, where the teams will clash today and on Friday to end SA’s tour.
SA open their World T20 (WT20) campaign against Sri Lanka in Chittagong on March 22. Considering their aluta continua for an International Cricket Council trophy – any trophy, even a plastic throwaway job – these two matches carry more weight than they might have.
SA will play two more T20s against Pakistan at home next week as well as three against Australia in the first two weeks of March to complete their preparation for the WT20.
After his team won the fifth ODI to complete a 4-1 series triumph in Sharjah on Monday, a pleased AB de Villers said:
“We certainly haven’t won a World Cup here tonight, but we definitely took a step in the right direction.”
Henry Davids, Aaron Phangiso and David Wiese are the new faces in SA’s squad.
The casualties from SA’s last T20 squad are Farhaan Behardien, Rory Kleinveldt and Chris Morris.
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