South African captain Donovan Ferreira has expressed the team’s commitment to intensifying their preparations for the upcoming Twenty20 World Cup, with a series against Pakistan set to kick off in Rawalpindi on Tuesday night, Bangladesh Time.
Having secured the runner-up spot to India in the 2024 Twenty20 World Cup, South Africa is considered a top contender for the next edition scheduled to be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka in February-March.
Ferreira emphasized the significance of the three-match series this week as a crucial stepping stone towards the World Cup, stating, “It is important to build up towards the World Cup. I think this is the big stepping stone for us towards the World Cup.”
South Africa will be without David Miller due to injury, who was initially named captain for this series, along with Gerald Coetzee and Kwena Maphaka, both sidelined with injuries. Additionally, key players like Aiden Markram, Tristan Stubbs, Ryan Rickelton, and Kagiso Rabada have been rested for this series.
Despite a recent loss to Namibia and a less experienced lineup, Ferreira expressed confidence in his team’s ability to play an aggressive style of cricket, saying, “The Namibia game is past now and I think we need to play an explosive brand of cricket with the bat or with the ball, as we have got exciting players in the side.”
On the other side, Pakistan’s captain Salman Agha views the series as a crucial platform to fine-tune their preparations for the World Cup. Reflecting on their performance in the recent Asia Cup where they finished as runners-up to India, Agha highlighted the need to learn from past mistakes.
Agha expressed his anticipation for the return of star batsman Babar Azam to the T20I side after his absence since December 2024, emphasizing Azam’s potential to enhance the team’s batting prowess. He reiterated the team’s focus on building momentum towards the upcoming World Cup.
The upcoming matches are scheduled for Friday and Saturday in Lahore, providing both teams with valuable opportunities to gear up for the prestigious tournament.