Online Cricket Updates
At
Cricket Village

1^st Semi Final of World Twenty20 will be played at Trent Bridge between two teams that have different approach towards the game. Pakistan more rely on their bowlers to win matches for them while South Africa have mixture of all. Whether it’s bowling, batting or fielding.

South Africa who reached Semi Final without having lost a single game in the tournament will look to continue their winning streak. Many experts already believe that it will be South Africa v Sri Lanka final at Lord’s on 21^st June. But it’s too early to say anything in such short format of game. India and Australia who started as tournament favorites already out of competition, so no one can say who will be winner until final bowl bowled on 21^st June.

South Africa have been on the roll with their five-match unbeaten streak in the tournament, and they are the favourites to win the title after their emphatic wins against the West Indies, England and holders India in the Super Eight stage. South Africa have been the most balanced side in the tournament. Their batting have come up short twice -- against New Zealand and India -- but on both occasions their bowlers rescued with some clinical performances.

On the other hand Pakistan will rely on Umar Gul to continue his performance for two more games. Umar Gul the leading wicket-taker of the inaugural tournament in South Africa is also the leading wicket takers with 12 wickets this time also and his fellow off-spinner bowler Saeed Ajmal in at second spot with 11 wickets in the tournament.

South Africa with seven successive Twenty20 International victories under the belt -- a world record -- Smith was justified in looking forward to the semifinal with confidence.

Watch out for

Umar Gul: A man master of bowling Yorkers. He is the man on mission for Pakistan with 12 wickets in the tournament and no doubt because of his bowling Pakistan came from strength to strength in each game. When he is song it is great to watch fast bowler knocking the middle stump of batsman.

H.Gibbs: A big match player with big shots in his armory. In recently concluded IPL he has shown what he is capable for in big games. South Africa always known for loosing the crunch game and it happened so many times that now they carry choker’s tag with them but it will be interesting to watch how South African batsman Gibbs approaches this game.

Pitch & Condition

The pitch to be use for 1^st Semi Final at Trent Bridge will be new pitch with some green grass on it. So it will not provide much help for the spinners however slow blower will come into play as the game progresses. We can expect a high scoring game with true bounce on the wicket.

Likely Playing XI for both Teams (Match is Schedule to begin at 22:00 PM India Time)

Pakistan Squad: Shahzaib Hassan, Kamran Akmal (WK), Shoaib Malik, Misbah-ul-Haq, Younis Khan (Captain), Abdul Razzaq, Shahid Afridi, Fawad Alam, Umar Gul, Mohammad Aamer, Saeed Ajmal.

South Africa Squad: Graeme Smith (Captain), Jacques Kallis, Herschelle Gibbs, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, A Morkel, M Boucher (WK), Johan Botha, Roelof van der Merwe, Wayne Parnell, Dale Steyn.

Stats

This is for the second straight time that Pakistan able to make it to ICC World Twnety20 Semi Final. Last time they played against New Zealand.

Pakistan and South Africa have six bowlers in the top 10 wicket-takers of the tournament, though Pakistanis occupy the top two spots.