PAK vs RSA 13th Match Prediction

PAK vs RSA Team Previews

Pakistan

The most remarkable and perhaps the most advantageous aspect of this tournament for Pakistan would be the fact that it is happening in UAE. UAE has more or less been like a home venue for Pakistan over the last few years and it was evident from the way they played in their first warm-up contest. They looked comfortable with the conditions as their batting and bowling both excelled in the respective departments.

It were Pakistan's bowlers who set up a win against the Windies as they reduced them to a total of just 130, which was heavily under-par for a batting lineup like West Indies. The spinners, in particular, were mighty effective for them - conceding 26 runs off 8 overs combined and picking up a wicket in the process. They will hold the key in this upcoming match as well, especially against a team that is not expected to play spin as well as some of the other sides in the competition.

With the bat as well, Pakistan looked pretty comfortable as they scaled the total down with a little under five overs to spare and with seven wickets in hand. Also, they have a batting unit that goes deep with the likes of Shadab Khan and Hasan Ali available to bat at eight and nine respectively. With Hafeez and Malik back in the side, Pakistan are rich in experience as well and that could be a crucial factor in these conditions.

All in all, Pakistan seem to be having all their bases covered and should do well not only in the upcoming match but also in the tournament on the whole. Having familiarity with the conditions, they can prove to be the dark horses of the tournament.

South Africa

There were plenty of questions asked about South Africa's batting before the team selection happened and quite remarkably those questions still persist. South Africa did manage to register a win against Afghanistan, but they will be looking to get well settled before the main round of the tournament.

We saw Temba Bavuma open the batting with Quinton de Kock in the opening encounter and that really highlights the instability of their batting order. Aiden Markram, who is more suited to open the innings than Bavuma, was pushed to number three and that was somewhat surprising. Also, South Africa's batsmen struggled to take control of the proceedings in the middle overs, especially when spinners were in operation. Facing spinners is going to be a big challenge for them in these conditions.

With the ball, however, the Proteas did look a lot better equipped, even though their main bowlers in Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje did not feature. We expect them both to have some game time in the upcoming match.

All in all, South Africa have a decent bowling unit, but the issues surrounding their batting are well known. They would need their stalwarts to perform in the upcoming match and unless that happens, South Africa will continue to struggle.