Nottingham, Thursday 18 June 2009: Unbeaten South Africa are all set to take on buoyant Pakistan in the first semi-final of the ICC World Twenty20 here on Thursday.

South Africans have performed brilliantly so far in the tournament. They are the favourites in the tournament, being the only unbeaten team. Their last success came at Trent Bridge on Tuesday when they beat defending champions India.

On the other hand, opponents Pakistan lost in their initial matches but bounced back to defeat New Zealand by six wickets before ensuring their place in the semi-final by packing off minnows Ireland by 38 runs.

Mark Boucher, the South African wicketkeeper batsman who has been involved in some really close semifinal losses, most notably in Edgbaston in 1999, reckons this team is a different outfit.

“There have been other semifinals before. But there’s a different feeling with this team. This is a different management with different players. We have been through a lot of tests last year and we have come through with fine colours. We have handled pressure pretty well. And hopefully, that is a sign of things to come for us in the latter stages of this tournament. It’s great to be in another semifinal of an ICC event. And hopefully, this time we can go the whole way,” he said.

One good news for South Africa will be the return of vice-captain Jacques Kallis. Kallis missed Tuesday’s Super 8 match against India due to a back niggle, but he has been declared fit. Kallis and the rest of the batsmen will need to handle the reverse swing of Umar Gul, a variety that destroyed New Zealand at the Oval last weekend.

But Pakistan don’t have only Umar Gul. Sohail Tanvir is a potential dangerman too though he has yet to fire in this tournament.

The return of Abdul Razzaq has lent the team the balance it was lacking in the earlier games. But spin will once again be Pakistan’s main ally to slay the South Africans as they have Shahid Afridi (woeful with the bat, but in brilliant bowling form) and Saeed Ajmal (11 wickets).

Probable teams:
SOUTH AFRICA: Graeme Smith (captain), Jacques Kallis, Herschelle Gibbs, A.B. de Villiers, J.P. Duminy, Mark Boucher, Albie Morkel, Roelof van der Merwe, Johan Botha, Dale Steyn, Wayne Parnell.

PAKISTAN: Kamran Akmal, Shahzaib Hasan, Shoaib Malik, Younis Khan (captain), Misbah-ul-Haq, Abdul Razzaq, Shahid Afridi, Fawad Alam, Umar Gul, Saeed Ajmal, Mohammad Aamir.