Pakistan and South Africa are set for the 2nd T20I of their five-match series at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. South Africa lead the series 1-0 after a dominant 55-run win in the first T20I. Pakistan will be eager to bounce back on a venue where they historically perform well.
South Africa showed supremacy in the opening encounter at Rawalpindi, posting a strong 194 runs, powered by Reeza Hendricks’ half-century and solid contributions from Quinton de Kock and Tony de Zorzi. Pakistan struggled in response, with key wickets falling early, including Babar Azam for a second-ball duck. George Linde was the star all-rounder for South Africa, scoring 36 runs and taking three crucial wickets. Pakistan’s Mohammad Nawaz fought hard with a three-wicket haul and a 36-run knock but was eventually outplayed. With South Africa leading 1-0, Pakistan face a must-win game at Lahore to stay competitive in the series.
Pakistan will look to regain composure with openers Sahibzada Farhan and Saim Ayub aiming to provide a solid start. The middle order boasts experienced batsmen like Babar Azam and Mohammad Nawazalthough form issues have affected consistency. Salman Agha leads the side but will be under pressure for a turnaround following his poor performance in the first game. The bowling attack features pace spearheads Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shahsupported by all-rounders Faheem Ashraf and Mohammad Nawaz. Spin options include Abrar Ahmed and Salman Mirzawho might exploit the pitch conditions well.
South Africa remain confident with captain Donovan Ferreira leading a balanced squad. The opening pair of Reeza Hendricks and De Kock has been solid, with Dewald Brevis and Lhuan-dre Pretorius providing aggressive options. Linde remains a key all-rounder impacting the match with both bat and ball. The pace battery led by Good luck alongside Nandre Burger and Lizaad Williams looks potent, while De Zorzi and Corbin Bosch offer useful spin and batting depth.
Matches Played: 25 | Pakistan won: 12 | South Africa: 13 | No results: 0
Gaddafi Stadium is one of Pakistan’s premier cricket venues with a seating capacity of 27,000, known for its batting-friendly pitch and consistent bounce, which encourages aggressive stroke play. This ground has witnessed some high-scoring T20 matches, with the average first innings score around 166 runs. Teams batting first have historically enjoyed a better win ratio, winning 20 out of 32 T20Is here, indicating a slight advantage for the side setting the target under lights.
The pitch tends to slow down a bit as evening progresses, aiding spinners for control and variations. Dew during night games can reduce the bowlers’ advantage, especially in the second innings, which might favor teams chasing under lights. Notably, the stadium hosted one of the highest successful chases of 197 runs by Pakistan against Bangladesh in June 2025. Hence, the toss and decision to bat first could be pivotal.
Pakistan: Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan (wk), Babar Azam, Hasan Nawaz, Salman Agha (c), Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen AfridiNaseem Shah, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Abrar Ahmed, Salman Mirza, Usman Khan, Usman Tariq, Abdul Samad
South Africa: Kinton of Kock (c), George Linde, Corb Bosch, Peter’s Nyds, Lungi Ngidi, Burger, Williams
Case 1:
Case 2:
Match result: Team batting first to win
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