It is time for action in Group 2 of the Super Eights with the double header on Friday in Colombo.
South Africa and Pakistan clash in the first match of the day to kickstart the action in what is labeled as the group of death.
Pakistan were given quite a test on their way to the Super Eights. They posted a healthy total against New Zealand but were kept on their toes till the end while Bangladesh came with plans to upset them before the Pakistan openers ran riot.
South Africa on the other hand came through with an imposing win against Zimbabwe which was followed by an equally professional performance in the rain-shortened fixture against Sri Lanka.
Pakistan have played the same side in both the matches and there seems little chance of a change in the lineup.
They will however need to lift their fielding after several drop catches and horrendous ground fielding let Bangladesh off the hook. Pakistan batsmen also benefited from their opponents’ poor fielding with Imran Nazir’s breathtaking half-century coming after two close chances.
This time though the opposition is South Africa with much better fielding so responsibility will need to be shown in all departments.
South Africa usually do come into major tournaments as major contenders but this time their likelihood is even greater given their form.
They played Faf du Plessis in the last match owing to the reduced nature of the match but are likely to revert to playing two spinners at Colombo where spinners are expected to get more assistance.
Pakistan are the team that ended South Africa’s run in each of the last two editions of World T20. On both occasions, they have defended modest totals thanks to their bowling.
With Umar Gul, Saeed Ajmal and Shahid Afridi still in the team, the going could still be difficult for the Proteas. The match starts at 3.30pm local time.