South Africa vs West Indies 2023, 1st T20I – Pitch Report, Probable XI and Match Prediction

Table of Contents

Pitch report
Probable XIs
Captain’s corner
Match Prediction

South Africa and West Indies are set to lock horns in the three-match T20 International (T20I) series, starting at SuperSport Park in Centurion on Saturday, March 25.

Captains of both sides have a relatively lesser experience in the shortest format. While the Proteas will be led by Aiden Markram, who is a new skipper of the side, the tourists shall be captained by Rovman Powell, who only has one T20I – along with three ODIs – as West Indies skipper under his belt.

In the recent T20I World Cup, South Africans lost to the Netherlands in Adelaide and were eliminated from the running for the semifinals. Windies, on the other hand, had a terrible campaign as the didn’t make it to the group stage after facing defeats against Scotland and Ireland to finish bottom of their group.

Pitch report:

The track at Supersport Park is known for its consistent pace and bounce, which makes it a favorite among fast bowlers. But it tends to slow down as the game progresses so the spinners could come into play as well.

Probable XIs:

South Africa: Quinton de Kock, Reeza Hendricks, Rilee Rossouw, Aiden Markram (captain), David Miller, Heinrich Klaasen, Wayne Parnell, Tabraiz Shamsi, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Lungi Ngidi

West Indies: Kyle Mayers, Johnson Charles, Shamarh Brooks, Brandon King, Nicholas Pooran, Rovman Powell (captain), Odean Smith, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Obed McCoy

Captain’s corner:

“Things happen very quickly in T20 cricket, so you want to try to stay as far ahead of the game as you can as a captain. You try to predict things; try to get a lot of information before the game on certain match-ups that can work in our favour. If we can commit to those options and not worry about the outcome, we give ourselves the best chance,” said Markram ahead of the first T20I.

“The guys who have been on the whole tour, it’s important for them to feed us with information. And it’s for us who have been here for just a short time to adjust fast. It’s good that the conditions aren’t a lot different from the Caribbean,” said Powell.