Edgbaston, June 16 (IANS) Pakistan and South Africa meet at Edgbaston in Birmingham on Wednesday with both sides desperate to revive their T20 World Cup campaigns after heavy defeats in their opening Group A fixtures. Having suffered convincing losses to India and Australia respectively, the contest has quickly turned into a must-win encounter for two teams already under pressure.

Pakistan were thoroughly outplayed by India, folding for 106 after conceding 170. Muneeba Ali’s 41 was the lone bright spot as the batting struggled against spin, particularly Deepti Sharma, whose 5/10 dismantled the middle order.

South Africa endured a similarly forgettable outing, losing by 64 runs to Australia despite Laura Wolvaardt’s 44 and Nadine de Klerk’s 25. Only Marizanne Kapp managed to join them in double figures as the batting failed to counter Australia’s four-pronged spin attack, which shared eight wickets.

Both teams now face another stern examination against quality slow bowling. Pakistan are expected to rely on Sadia Iqbal and Nashra Sandhu, while South Africa will once again turn to Nonkululeko Mlaba. The battle against spin could once again define the outcome.

Recent form offers little encouragement for Pakistan, who have won just seven of their last 20 T20Is, with four victories coming against Ireland and Zimbabwe. South Africa, meanwhile, entered the tournament after reaching the finals of the last three ICC global events, making their opening defeat all the more surprising.

With the group beginning to take shape after India and Australia made emphatic starts, another defeat would leave either Pakistan or South Africa with an uphill task of reaching the knockout stage.

When: Wednesday, June 17, 11:00 PM IST

Where: Edgbaston, Birmingham

Where to watch: The SA vs PAK match will be broadcast on Star Sports channels, with JioHotstar live-streaming the game.

Squads:

South Africa: Laura Wolvaardt (c), Tazmin Brits, Nadine de Klerk, Annerie Dercksen, Shabnim Ismail, Sinalo Jafta, Marizanne Kapp, Ayabonga Khaka, Sune Luus, Karabo Meso, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Kayla Reyneke, Tumi Sekhukhune, Chloe Tryon, Dane van Niekerk

Pakistan: Fatima Sana (c), Gull Feroza, Ayesha Zafar, Iram Javed, Eyman Fatima, Aliya Riaz, Natalia Parvaiz, Saira Jabeen, Muneeba Ali, Tuba Hassan, Rameen Shamim, Sadia Iqbal, Nashra Sandhu, Diana Baig, Tasmia Rubab

–IANS

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