Pakistan vs South Africa: 4th ODI Preview

Imran Tahir has been in impressive form

This is probably the best time for Pakistani batsmen to click and put up a decent show. Pakistan are 1-2 down in the 5 match series and their batting has been unsatisfactory. The highest that they have scored this series is 209, even though they successfully defended this total, thanks to their bowlers, but this by no means is a healthy score.

South Africa, on the other hand, are a team filled with confidence after the big win in third ODI, and would be very keen to win this match to take the series. They would be hoping that their batsmen come up with a good batting performance, like they did in the third ODI scoring 259/8 in 50.

Pakistan are braced with the class of Hafeez and Nasir Jamshed at the top, and would be hoping for a better batting display from their middle order. Misbah ul Haq and Umar Akmal have not been at their belligerent best and they would love to leave their mark in this crucial one day.

South Africa are in a strong position after winning the third ODI and are bolstered by JP Duminy and AB de Villiers in the middle order while Faf Du Plessis and Hashim Amla would look to do good at the top. Their bowling attack has been in good form and the presence of Imran Tahir as a spinner has increased their strength. They would love to win this match to clinch the series.

Form (most recent games first):

Pakistan – LWLWWSouth Africa – WLWLL

Players to watch

Imran Tahir has taken 8 wickets in three ODIs played and would be hoping for a similar bowling performance, Pakistan though will have to score runs off his bowling to win.

Saeed Ajmal has also been in top form, and has also taken 8 wickets so far and the Proteas batsmen have found it very difficult to score runs off him.

Ahmed Shehzad is one batsman from the Pakistani side who has looked good. South Africans would want to take his wicket to put pressure on the batting unit of Pakistan.

Faf du PLessis, after that fine fifty in the last match will be filled with confidence and would be hoping to make another big score. Pakistan will have to stop him from scoring, if the want to have any chance of winning this match.

Teams

Paksitan - Mohammad Hafeez, Ahmed Shehzad, Umar Amin, Sohaib Maqsood, Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), Asad Shafiq, Umar Akmal, Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), Shahid Afridi, Sohail Tanvir, Wahab Riaz, Junaid Khan, Saeed Ajmal, Mohammad Irfan.

South Africa - Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock (wk), Faf du Plessis, JP Duminy AB de Villiers (capt), David Miller, Ryan McLaren, Dale Steyn, Wayne Parnell, Vernon Philander, Morne Morkel, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Imran Tahir.