• Right-arm pacer Naseem Shah returns to squad.
• Series marks Rizwan’s 3rd assignment as ODI captain.
• Markram comes in as stand-in captain in Bavuma’s absence.

South Africa chose to bat first after winning toss against Pakistan in first One Day International (ODI) of the three-match series being played at Boland Park, Paarl on Wednesday.

Earlier, Pakistan announced its playing XI for the opening match, featuring a blend of seasoned players and promising newcomers as the team looks to make a strong start to the series.

Right-arm pacer Naseem Shah has returned to the squad who will be joined by spearheads Haris Rauf and Shaheen Afridi.

Saim Ayub and Abdullah Shafique will open the batting for the Men in Green.

This series marks Mohammad Rizwan’s third assignment as Pakistan’s ODI captain.

His leadership journey began in November against Australia in a three-match ODI series, where he successfully guided the team to a 2-1 series victory, Pakistan’s first series win on Australian soil in 22 years.

Rizwan’s second assignment was against Zimbabwe, where the Men in Green triumphed 2-1 in a three-match ODI series.

However, the start of the South Africa tour has not been kind to Pakistan, with the team losing the three-match T20I series 2-0.

On the other hand, South Africa captain Temba Bavuma will miss the opening ODI against Pakistan in Paarl on Tuesday as part of a strategic move to manage his workload ahead of the crucial two-Test series.

Aiden Markram has been named stand-in captain for the first match, with Bavuma expected to return for the remainder of the series.

The decision underscores South Africa’s efforts to balance player workload and readiness as they prepare for major upcoming tournaments, including the Champions Trophy 2025 and the pivotal Test series.

The red-ball series carries significant importance as South Africa aims to secure a spot in the World Test Championship final.

PLAYING XIs

Pakistan: Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan (C/WK), Kamran Ghulam, Salman Ali Agha, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed

South Africa: Tony de Zorzi, Ryan Rickelton, Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram(C), Tristan Stubbs, Heinrich Klaasen(wk), Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Ottneil Baartman, Tabraiz Shamsi

HEAD TO HEAD

Pakistan and South Africa have played a total of 83 ODI matches. Of these, Pakistan won 30, while South Africa claimed victories 52 times. One match ended without results.

• Matches played: 83
• Pakistan won: 30
• South Africa won: 52

FORM GUIDE

Pakistan will carry forward their winning momentum after clinching back-to-back ODI series victories against Australia and Zimbabwe, both by a 2-1 margin.

Similarly, South Africa are also riding a winning momentum, having triumphed in their previous series against Ireland 2-1.