RAWALPINDI – Pakistan are ready to lock horns with South Africa in the T20I series opener at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium at 8 pm on Tuesday.
The Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium will turn pink in support of the Pink Ribbon Pakistan to create awareness about breast cancer.
Pakistan players will wear specially designed pink-themed kits to mark the occasion, while South Africa and the match officials will wear pink ribbons in solidarity with the cause.
The coaching staff and commentators will also wear pink ribbons throughout the match.
The stumps used for the Rawalpindi fixture will be branded pink. Commentators will share awareness messages during the live broadcast as well.
After the first T20I, the action will shift to Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium for the remaining two T20Is on October 31 and November 1, respectively.
The T20Is will be followed by three ODIs, which will be staged at Faisalabad’s Iqbal Stadium on November 4, 6 and 8.
In T20Is, both sides have faced each other 24 times, winning 12 each. In three T20Is played in Pakistan, the hosts have won twice, while South Africa have emerged victorious once. For Pakistan, in the current T20I squad, Babar Azam has scored 447 runs in 13 outings against South Africa, while Shaheen Shah Afridi has grabbed 13 wickets in 12 matches.
Babar, who has featured in 128 T20I matches for Pakistan, requires eight runs to become the leading run-getter in this format in the world.
T20I squad:
Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan (wicket-keeper), Usman Tariq
Series schedule:
28 October – First T20I at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi
31 October – Second T20I at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
1 November – Third T20I at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
4 November – First ODI at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad
6 November – Second ODI at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad
8 November – Third ODI at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad
