Pakistan aims to capitalise on its 2-0 victory in the Test series against South Africa when it takes on the Proteas in the three-match Twenty20 series that begins on Thursday.
“The result of Test series will have an impact on the Twenty20 series,” Pakistan bowling coach Waqar Younis told reporters during a virtual press conference in Lahore on Wednesday.
Waqar was the bowling coach when a second-string Sri Lanka routed Pakistan 3-0 at Lahore in 2019.
This time around, Waqar is not underestimating the second-string South Africa without its T20 regulars — captain Quinton de Kock, Faf du Plessis, Rassie van der Dussen, Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi.
Fast bowler Hasan Ali is part of Pakistan’s Twenty20 squad with Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf to give Pakistan a formidable pace attack.
Hafeez unavailable
Pakistan had to leave out Mohammad Hafeez after he couldn’t join the team’s bio-secure bubble in Lahore by the February 3 deadline.
Hafeez scored 415 runs in T20 internationals last year, but was busy playing in a T10 League in the United Arab Emirates.
The squads (from):
Pakistan: Babar Azam, Haider Ali, Khushdil Shah, Hussain Talat, Danish Aziz, Asif Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Zafar Gohar, Faheem Ashraf, Aamer Yamin, Amad Butt, Mohammad Rizwan, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Hasan Ali, Usman Qadir, Zahid Mehmood.
South Africa: Heinrich Klaasen, Nandre Burger, Okuhle Cele, Junior Dala, Bjorn Fortuin, Reeza Hendricks, George Linde, Janneman Malan, David Miller, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius, Ryan Rickelton, Tabraiz Shamsi, Lutho Sipamla, Jon-Jon Smuts, Pite van Biljon, Glenton Stuurman, Jacques Snyman.
