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Underperforming Pakistan will take on free-scoring South Africa in a must-win Cricket World Cup clash at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai today (Friday).

If Pakistan envisage reaching the semi-finals at the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup then they simply must find their best form and defeat a surging South Africa in Chennai.

Pakistan have shown glimpses of their best so far with two wins from five matches, but have yet to have all aspects of their game peaking at once.

They will need to be firing on all cylinders against a powerful South Africa outfit who have been one of the most impressive teams in India with four wins and just one blemish to their name thus far.

That loss was a shock defeat at the hands of the Netherlands and it is no coincidence that was the only time that the Proteas' strong batting order didn't click.

With Quinton de Kock, Heinrich Klaasen, Aiden Markram, Rassie van der Dussen and David Miller all in good touch, opposition bowlers have struggled to contain South Africa's batters and this is what Pakistan's bevy of quicks will need to do in Chennai.

Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf will be key factors with the ball for Pakistan and the pair must claim early wickets while the ball is swinging or yet another high-scoring encounter will be likely.


With four group games to play, Pakistan can still make the semifinals, but there is little margin for error. However, as well as victory on Friday, they also need to improve their -0.40 net run-rate which could prove to be the tie-breaker in the race for semifinal spots.

“If you have belief, miracles happen,” said Shadab, the deputy to skipper Babar Azam. “We have not played like we were playing before the World Cup but from tomorrow we have to start a winning streak,” he said

While the Pakistan captain has contributed 157 runs at a decent average of 31.40 through five games at the tournament, the expectations are so high on the No.1 ranked ODI batter in the world that he would like to be scoring even more freely.

The time is now for Babar, who must rise to the occasion and help keep his side in the hunt for a semi-final berth with a big score against South Africa's well-balanced bowling line-up.

On the other hand, there is not many batters at the World Cup in better form than Quinton de Kock and there is no reason to suggest he won't go big again against Pakistan.

De Kock has three centuries to his name and a tournament best 407 runs at an average of 81.40 through five matches and is the most important cog in an explosive South Africa top six.

Squads

Pakistan squad: Babar Azam (c), Shadab Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Mohammad Rizwan, Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Salman Ali Agha, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Wasim.

South Africa squad: Temba Bavuma (c), Gerald Coetzee, Quinton de Kock, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Andile Phehlukwayo, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Rassie van der Dussen, Lizaad Williams.

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