Pakistan take on South Africa at Edgbaston, Birmingham on Monday in Group B second match. It is the fifth game of the International Cricket Council (ICC) Champions Trophy 2013.
Overview:
Both the teams come into the contest after losing their respective tournament openers with Pakistan conceding defeat to West Indies by two wickets and South Africa losing to India by 26 runs. Pakistan defeated South Africa in the warm-up game but this match is a different one all together.
It will be a contest between Pakistani bowlers and South African batsmen. Both the teams need to win this match to stay alive in the competition.
Previous Meetings:
South Africa have good record against Pakistan, winning all the five ODI series held at home and away since 2002.
Team News:
Pakistan: Except skipper Misbah-ul-Haq (96) and Nasir Jamshed (50), the rest of the players didn't even put up a fight in their previous match against West Indies. Misbah and Nasir will expected to perform again in this all-important match, and batsmen like Imran Farhat, Mohammad Hafeez and Asad Shafiq should contribute with their bat.
Mohammad Irfan took three wickets while Saeed Ajmal and Wahab Riaz took two wickets apiece in the previous match. They also have Mohammad Hafeez, Junaid Khan, Asad Ali, Ehsan Adil, Abdur Rehman and Shoaib Malik. They did a good job in the previous match against the West Indies, coming close to taking away the match. They will be expected to put up a good show on Monday.
South Africa: Skipper AB de Villiers (70), Robin Peterson (68) and Ryan McLaren (71) helped the team put up a fierce fight against India in the previous match though they were short by 26 runs. Hashim Amla, Colin Ingram and JP Duminy will be expected to give a good start for the team as they need to put up a big score on the board considering Pakistan's bowling strength.
Give a big blow to their bowling attack, Morne Morkel has flown back home due to an injury. Speedster Dale Steyn's availability is also not certain as his fitness is in question due to an injury. Ryan McLaren took three wickets and Lonwabo Tsotsobe took two in the previous match against India. They also have Rory Kleinveldt, Robin Peterson, JP Duminy, Alviro Petersen and Aaron Phangiso in the bowling attack.
Prediction:
Pakistan are an unpredictable team with strong bowling attack but the lack of experienced players make them vulnerable. On the other hand, South Africa have both experience and youth with strong batting line-up, making them the favourites to win on Monday.
Squads:
Pakistan: Misbah-ul-Haq (Captain), Abdur Rehman, Asad Ali, Asad Shafiq, Ehsan Adil, Imran Farhat, Junaid Khan, Kamran Akmal, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Irfan, Nasir Jamshed, Saeed Ajmal, Shoaib Malik, Umar Amin, Wahab Riaz
South Africa: AB de Villiers (Captain), Hashim Amla, Farhaan Behardien, JP Duminy, Francois du Plessis, Colin Ingram, Rory Kleinveldt, Ryan McLaren, David Miller, Morne Morkel, Alviro Petersen, Robin Peterson, Aaron Phangiso, Dale Steyn, Lonwabo Tsotsobe
Where to Watch Live
The match will kick off at 5:30 PM IST on Monday and it will be telecast live on Star Sports and Star Cricket channels. It will also be live streamed online on Star Sports official website.
