Pakistan's T20I Captain Ahead Series Vs South Africa: 'Few Comebacks And New Faces As Well'

Pakistan’s T20I captain Salman Ali Agha is optimistic about the upcoming three-match series against South Africa, describing his squad as “interesting and exciting.” He highlighted the team’s strong balance

and energy, expressing confidence in a successful series due to a mix of returning players and new talent.

“I think we have a very interesting and exciting side, with a few comebacks and a few new faces as well. I am very excited to lead this team and we really hope to have a great series,” Agha stated on the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) digital platform.

‘Can Beat Any Side’

Discussing Pakistan’s recent T20I victory over Bangladesh, the right-handed batter attributed their success to consistency and effective game plans.

“We had a great series against Bangladesh at home, and I am hopeful for good results in the upcoming series as well. We just want to execute our plans for a longer period. As I always say, we have a great team – a team that can beat any side. Obviously, South Africa are a very good side; they have a few misses, but still possess a lot of talent,” he added.

In the current T20I squad, former captain Babar Azam is the leading run-scorer against South Africa, with 447 runs in 13 innings, while Shaheen Shah Afridi leads the bowling charts with 13 wickets in 12 matches.

The series will proceed to Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium for the second and third T20Is on October 31 and November 1. The tour concludes with a three-match ODI series from November 4 to 8 at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad, hosting its first ODI since April 11, 2008, when Pakistan defeated Bangladesh by seven wickets.

Historically, Pakistan and South Africa have faced each other 24 times in T20Is, with a head-to-head record of 12 wins each.

Pakistan squad for South Africa T20Is: Salman Ali Agha (c), 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 (wk) and Usman Tariq.

(With inputs from Agencies)