PAK vs SA 3rd ODI Playing 11 Prediction, Fantasy Tips, Pitch Report, Live Streaming

South Africa will meet Pakistan for the 3rd ODI on February 12 [Source: @TheRealPCB/X.com]

The stage is set for a knockout match between Pakistan and South Africa in the Pakistan Tri-Series 2025. The winner of the 3rd ODI will play New Zealand on February 14 in the final match. For now, the stakes are high as to which team will make it to the finals, as the Men in Green will play Proteas on February 12 at the National Stadium in Karachi.

PAK vs SA 3rd ODI Team Previews And Comparison

Pakistan

After a disappointing 78-run loss to New Zealand in the tri-series opener, Pakistan will look to bounce back against a weakened South Africa side. Despite Fakhar Zaman's aggressive 84 off 69 balls, Pakistan's middle order crumbled under spin pressure, failing to chase 331.

Their bowling unit, led by Shaheen Afridi (3/88), struggled in the death overs as Glenn Phillips' unbeaten 106 powered New Zealand to a formidable total. With Haris Rauf sidelined due to injury, Pakistan must address their bowling vulnerabilities and ensure greater batting stability to stay alive in the tournament with the upcoming match against South Africa.

South Africa

South Africa will enter their clash against Pakistan after a 6-wicket defeat to New Zealand, where debutant Matthew Breetzke's record-breaking 150 was the lone bright spot. Despite posting 304/6, their bowling attack struggled, failing to defend a competitive total.

With Wiaan Mulder showing strong form with the bat and Eathan Bosch impressing on debut with the ball, the Proteas will rely on these key players to step up. Skipper Temba Bavuma and all-rounder Mulder will be crucial in stabilizing the innings, while Junior Dala and Bosch must find breakthroughs early to challenge Pakistan in Karachi.

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PAK vs SA 3rd ODI Match Details And Live Streaming

PAK vs SA 3rd ODI Pitch Report: How Will Surface At National Stadium In Karachi Behave?

The National Stadium in Karachi offers a balanced surface, assisting both batters and bowlers. Fast bowlers can extract bounce and movement early on, while spinners become effective as the game progresses. The venue has seen both high and low-scoring matches and the teams batting second have won 37 times with a slight edge over teams who batted first.

Hence, with an average first-innings score of 237, any total above 280 could be competitive. Hence, going by the trend, the captain winning the toss might choose to bowl first and restrict the opponent within a low total while exploiting early conditions.

PAK vs SA 3rd ODI Playing XI Prediction

Pakistan's Probable XI: Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Rizwan (c), Agha Salman, Tayyab Tahir, Khushdil Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Akif Javed, Abrar Ahmed.   

South Africa's Probable XI: Temba Bavuma (c), Matthew Breetzke, Jason Smith, Wiaan Mulder, Kyle Verreynne, Kagiso Rabada, Senuran Muthusamy, Corbin Bosch, Junior Dala, Lungi Ngidi, Tabraiz Shamsi.

PAK vs SA 3rd ODI Fantasy Tips And Key Players

• The National Stadium in Karachi offers a balanced pitch which usually favours batters and pace bowlers as well. Hence, a batter and all-rounder heavy fantasy squad might help get the big points on the fantasy leaderboard.
• Risky Pick: Kyle Verreynne has not been in his peak form recently with underwhelming figures of 1, 7, and 1 in his last three outings. Hence, picking Verreynne in the fantasy team might be a tough gamble as he hasn't shown much promise recently and facing Pakistani bowlers will not be easy for him in the game.
• Safe Pick: Fakhar Zaman is in scintillating form outclassing the bowlers with his most recent knock of 84 runs. In the ILT20 too, he has shown his class with big knocks and with a strike rate of 101.1 against Proteas bowlers in ODI, he can prove to be  agame-changer on Karachi's pitch.
• Pakistan's Wildcard: Khushdil Shah hasn't performed much in the 1st ODI but was a sensation in the recently concluded BPL. He shone with both the bat and the ball and can be key in fantasy teams for the upcoming match.
• South Africa's Expected Key Players: Temba Bavuma (c), Matthew Breetzke, Wiaan Mulder, Kagiso Rabada, Senuran Muthusamy
• Pakistan's Expected Key Players: Fakhar Zaman, Agha Salman, Khushdil Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah

PAK vs SA 3rd ODI Winner Prediction

Pakistan and South Africa both have strong team depth on paper but assessing home advantage and recent form in ODIs, the Men In Green is likely to win the 3rd ODI against South Africa.

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