LAHORE (Khyber News) – After gaining two places in the ICC Test Team Rankings, Babar Azam’s men will aim to collect the four available T20I ranking points when they go head to head with South Africa in the three-match series at the Gaddafi Stadium on Thursday.
If Pakistan sweep the series, they will rise to 263 points, five points behind India, while South Africa will join New Zealand on 247 points but will be ranked below New Zealand on sixth points when the points are calculated beyond the decimal point.
The two sides will feature in a T20I series on Pakistan soil for the first time. Pakistan’s previous two home T20I series were played in the United Arab Emirates in 2010 and 2013, which were won by South Africa by an identical 2-0 margin.
In the six T20I series to date, the only time Pakistan has won a series was in South Africa in March 2013 when they won the Centurion match by 95 runs after the Durban T20I was washed out.
The series is part of Pakistan’s preparation for this year’s ICC T20 World Cup 2021. In the lead up to the 16-tournament, Pakistan will feature in, at least, 17 T20Is, including home T20Is against South Africa, New Zealand and England, while their away T20I engagements will be against South Africa, Zimbabwe, England and the West Indies.
