Left-arm quick Shaheen Shah Afridi gave major damage to South Africa’s batting order, removing Quinton de Kock and Lhuan-dre Pretorius in the first over as both sides came face-to-face in the T20I series decider at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium on Saturday.

After winning the toss, Pakistan elected to bowl first against South Africa.

Playing XIs

Pakistan: Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, Babar Azam, Salman Ali Agha (c), Usman Khan (wk), Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Salman Mirza and Usman Tariq.

South Africa: Reeza Hendricks, Quinton de Kock(w), Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Dewald Brevis, Matthew Breetzke, Donovan Ferreira(c), George Linde, Corbin Bosch, Andile Simelane, Lizaad Williams and Ottneil Baartman.

Head-to-head

Pakistan and South Africa have come face-to-face 27 times in T20Is, with their head-to-head record hanging in balance as the two teams are tied with 13 victories each.

• Matches: 27
• Pakistan: 13
• South Africa: 13
• No Result: 1

Form Guide

The two teams enter the high-stakes fixture with similar momentum, having registered equally emphatic victories against each other in the first two matches of the ongoing series.

In the series opener in Rawalpindi on Tuesday, the Proteas crushed the hosts by a massive 55-run margin by bowling them out for a modest total of 139 while defending a 195-run target.

The home side responded with an equally resounding triumph as they booked South Africa for a mere 110 in 19.2 overs before chasing down the modest target for the loss of just one wicket and 41 balls to spare.

Notably, the two teams last played a bilateral series in the shortest format in December last year, which the home side, South Africa, won 2-0 as the third fixture was abandoned due to rain.

Pakistan: W, L, L, W, W (most recent first)

South Africa: L, W, L, A, L

Sporting CP midfielder Morten Hjulmand is on Manchester United‘s transfer shortlist, while N’Golo Kanté is being targeted for a return to Europe. Join us for the latest transfer news and rumors from around the globe.

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TOP STORIES

– Amorim expects Man Utd transfer requests in Jan.
– Madrid’s Alonso on Vini Jr. Clásico furore: ‘Subject closed’
– Liverpool’s Arne Slot refuses to give update on contract talks

TRENDING RUMORS

– Manchester United are weighing up a move for Sporting CP midfielder Morten Hjulmand, according to TEAMtalk. The Red Devils are continuing to assess the transfer market ahead of plans to strengthen manager Ruben Amorim’s midfield in January. It is reported that Hjulmand, 26, could be acquired for half of the fee that United would be expected to pay to sign Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton or Nottingham Forest‘s Elliot Anderson, with recent reports indicating that either could require an offer worth between £100 million and £120m to secure. Hjulmand, who has previously been linked with Juventus, has been on United’s shortlist for a long time.

– Paris FC are dreaming of signing Al Ittihad midfielder N’Golo Kanté, reports Foot Mercato. The 34-year-old is yet to extend his contract with the Saudi club, and newly promoted Ligue 1 side Paris FC see it as a “golden opportunity” to bring him back to Europe. Kanté has made six starts in the Saudi Pro League so far this season, and he will enter the final 18 months of his deal in January. He won one Premier League title with Leicester City and another with Chelsea, where he also won the UEFA Champions League, before moving to Saudi Arabia in 2023. He also wont he 2018 FIFA World Cup with France, for whom he last appeared in November 2024.

– A move for Bayern Munich center-back Dayot Upamecano is being considered by Internazionale, according to Gazzetta dello Sport. It is believed that the France international is yet to communicate a desire to stay put at the Allianz Arena, and the Nerazurri are “poised to make a move” if an opportunity arises to land him. The 27-year-old is set to enter the final 18 months of his contract in January, while Lazio‘s Mario Gila is seen as a potential alternative.

– Multiple clubs are lining up to sign Manchester United striker Joshua Zirkzee in January. TEAMtalk reports that West Ham United are among five Premier League teams keen on a move for the 24-year-old, but they are facing competition from Europe, with Sevilla and PSV Eindhoven also interested. Previous reports have indicated that the Red Devils would prefer to keep their squad together beyond the next transfer window, but with the 2026 FIFA World Cup approaching, Zirkzee wants to play regular minutes to have a chance of being selected in the Netherlands‘ squad for the tournament.

– Clubs in the Premier League are interested in Palmeiras forward Vitor Roque, according to Diario AS. The 20-year-old left Barcelona for a fee of €25m in February and he has hit form again upon his return to Brazil, scoring goals in 27 league matches. His performances are believed to have caught the attention of clubs in Europe, but teams in England‘s top flight are “favorites” in the race for him.

EXPERT TAKE

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Zirkzee, Mainoo facing uncertain futures at Manchester United

Rob Dawson says Joshua Zirkzee and Kobbie Mainoo are hoping for new clubs in the transfer window.

OTHER RUMORS

Arsenal are considering an approach for Bayern Munich attacking midfielder Lennart Karl, with the Emirates Stadium hierarchy willing to back manager Mikel Arteta in January. (CaughtOffside)

Liverpool are planning to hand new contracts to midfield pair Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai. (Fabrizio Romano)

Atlético Madrid’s Conor Gallagher “remains an option” for Manchester United in their search for a midfielder. (Fabrizio Romano)

Jadon Sancho could be set to return to Manchester United in January, with Aston Villa “unimpressed.” with his recent performances during his loan spell. (Football Insider)

West Ham are reluctant to part ways with midfielder Lucas Paquetá in January. (Football Insider)

Juventus, Internazionale, and Roma are interested in a potential move for Genoa midfielder Morten Frendrup who has also been approached by teams in the Premier League. (Nicolò Schira)

Aston Villa and Leeds United are among the teams interested in PSV Eindhoven attacking midfielder Ismael Saibari. (TBR Football)

Napoli, Sevilla, and Real Betis are looking at Club America winger Brian Rodríguez. (Ekrem Konur)

Talks over a new contract are set to take place between Sassuolo and forward Armand Laurienté. (Nicolò Schira)

Barcelona coach Hansi Flick said Saturday he will “protect” teenage star Lamine Yamal after recent criticism.

The 18-year-old winger struggled in the Clasico last weekend as champions Barca fell to a defeat that left them five points behind La Liga leaders Real Madrid.

Yamal was also in the spotlight for comments before the game insinuating Madrid “steal (and) complain” which riled Los Blancos fans and a big part of the Spanish media.

“We speak with him… we are very honest together, he with me and I with him and this is the best way,” Flick told a news conference ahead of Barca’s match against Elche on Sunday in La Liga.

“I will always protect him and support him. He’s a fantastic player, fantastic guy, he’s very young and we will go on this way.”

Yamal has been struggling with a groin injury for a few weeks and although he started the Clasico, he put in a subdued performance and still seems affected by the issue.

“Lamine is good. I just spoke with him and he’s doing good,” continued Flick.

“Of course he has some days where he feels some pain but now he really works hard, he improve a lot about these things. He’s on a good evolution so this is what we can say.”

The German coach said Robert Lewandowski and Dani Olmo were available again after injury, while Barca are still without Pedri Gonzalez, Gavi and Joan Garcia among others.

Flick explained veteran striker Lewandowski and playmaker Olmo’s returns had helped raise the quality in training.

“What I can see now with Dani and also with Lewy back, the last two training (sessions) were very good,” added Flick.

“It’s not just that they increase the level and quality, but that the others are increasing their level, also the young players. It’s nice to see and hopefully we can show it tomorrow.”

The Catlans host Elche at the Olympic Stadium, with the promoted side coached by Eder Sarabia, who was a former Barca assistant coach under Quique Setien.

Elche are in mid-table after a strong start to the season, having suffered only two defeats, and Flick said they play “fantastic football”.

Barcelona to show off unfinished Camp Nou with public training session

After two years in exile as the Camp Nou was renovated, Barcelona will return to the stadium for a public training session on November 7, the club announced Friday. 

Capacity for the event will be limited to 23,000, less than a quarter of the 105,000 the stadium is expected to hold once the heavily-delayed construction is completed.

“The FC Barcelona men’s football first team will officially return to the Spotify Camp Nou next Friday, November 7, to hold an open training session in front of the Barca fan,” the club said on its website.

Tickets will cost five euros (5.77 dollars) for club members and 10 euros for the general public, with proceeds going to a club charity for sick children, said Barcelona.

More than two years since the start of renovation works, the famous stadium is still not ready to host matches, even with a reduced capacity.

“This session will also serve as a technical and operational test to ensure the proper functioning of systems, access points, various aspects of the facility, as part of the stadium’s gradual reopening process,” said the club.

The city’s fire department has raised concerns over evacuation routes, among other safety issues.