ICC World Twenty20 1st Semi Final, Pakistan vs South Africa, Live Streaming
Unbeaten South Africa are hot favourites to lift the ICC World Twenty20 trophy. They next meet the unpredictable Pakistan in the first semi final at Trent Bridge Nottingham on Thursday.
ICC World Twenty20 1st Semi Final
Another slick performance on Tuesday saw the Proteas beat India by 12 runs and maintain their unbeaten record in the tournament.
Much will be made of South Africa’s recent history of “choking” in big tournaments but this side looks to have the temperament for the big occasion. We must remember though, this is Twenty20 cricket, an inspired performance from one or two opponents can, in theory, be enough to take the game away from you.
We saw in the recent IPL how the two most fancied sides, Delhi and Chennai, bowed out at the semi final stage to sides who had been very inconsistent. In the ICC Twenty20, Sri Lanka, who meet West Indies on Friday in the 2nd semi final, are also unbeaten but one or both could be vulnerable in a straight knockout.
So does Pakistan have the ammunition to upset the Proteas?
Other than when they came up against the Associate members who they beat convincingly, Pakistan have only beaten New Zealand of the more fancied nations. In essence, that has proved enough to see them through to a semi final place. Their batting is erratic and in the early matches it was often irresponsible. Their fielding has at times been as poor as a local Sunday league side. Time and time again there is nobody at home at the bowlers end when a run out is on. If they were to ever approach Jonty Rhodes to be their fielding coach, he would surely need a 10 year contract!
If the above sounds like its game over, think again, so what do Pakistan have going for them?
Support, Pakistan will have huge support in Nottingham and they tend to play on emotion, when they are on a roll with the crowd behind them, they are highly dangerous.
Younus Khan, the captain brings sanity to the batting, calmness amidst the woeful fielding and a fine bat to the crease. He is one class cricketer and a great man.
Umar Gul, as good as any with the death bowling in this format, he is usually held back for the latter overs and can get reverse swing, he also has a superb yorker as his killer delivery. Gul is the tournaments leading wicket taker with 12 victims.
Spin, Afridi with 9 wickets and Ajmal with 11 are economical as well as destroyers of the middle order, usually brought straight into action after the first 6 overs, the Proteas will need to be very careful.
Unpredictability – Shahid Afridi and Kamran Akmal with the bat – both are disappointed if the ball bounces once before reaching the boundary. They will be batting at Trent Bridge on Thursday but trying to smash the ball all the way to the Oval. It rarely works for any length of time but if one or both come off, carnage will follow.
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