ISLAMABAD: Pakistan won the toss and chose to field in the first ODI against South Africa in Faisalabad; the game marks Shaheen Shah Afridi’s first ODI as captain.
The hosts thus won their sixth successive toss across formats during South Africa’s ongoing tour, which sees Faisalabad host its first men’s game in 17 years.
Fakhar Zaman returned to the team that included both Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan. Pakistan went with three specialist bowlers in Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Abrar Ahmed, with Mohammad Nawaz, Hussain Talat, and Salman Ali Agha providing the part-time options.
South Africa, meanwhile, included the returning Quinton de Kock even as it was otherwise a new-look side which featured debutants Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Sinethemba Qeshile and Donovan Ferreira. There were two spinners in George Linde and Bjorn Fortuin, with Corbin Bosch, Lungi Ngidi, and Lizaad Williams as the seam options.
Batter Dewald Brevis has been ruled out of the ODI series following a low-grade shoulder muscle strain during the third T20I of the tour in Lahore on Saturday.
Live Score Board
Pakistan: 1 Fakhar Zaman, 2 Saim Ayub, 3 Babar Azam, 4 Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 5 Salman Agha, 6 Hussain Talat, 7 Hasan Nawaz, 8 Mohammad Nawaz, 9 Shaheen Shah Afridi (capt), 10 Naseem Shah, 11 Abrar Ahmed
South Africa: 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Lhuan-dre Pretorius, 3 Tony de Zorzi, 4 Matthew Breetzke (capt), 5 Sinethemba Qeshile, 6 Donovan Ferreira, 7 George Linde, 8 Corbin Bosch, 9 Bjorn Fortuin, 10 Lungi Ngidi, 11 Lizaad Williams
