Babar Azam won the toss and opted to bat first against South Africa. A win is must for Pakistan to keep their semi final hopes alive. Pakistan are fifth in Group 2 of the Super 12 phase of the competition, with two points from their opening three matches.

They trail group leaders India by four points and it means that they must beat South Africa and Bangladesh to have any chance of reaching the semi-finals. Even wins in these two matches won't guarantee them a spot in the final four but a loss will make it impossible for them to make it. South Africa, on the other hand, could become the first team to mathematically confirm a spot for themselves in the semi-finals.