Big picture: Will South Africa stay perfect?
They will, however, want to keep up their winning habit, and go into the next round with a perfect record. The match against UAE will also see South Africa play their first game outside Ahmedabad this World Cup, so it will be a test for them in comparatively unfamiliar conditions.
The match will offer South Africa a chance to rotate, and also work on any potential weaknesses they may have identified so far.
They come up against a UAE side that showed plenty of fight in their last match against Afghanistan. Although it ended in defeat, Alishan Sharafu and Sohaib Khan’s knocks, as well as their bowling display for most parts of Afghanistan’s chase, will give them confidence.
That game was also a day match in Delhi, so UAE will feel they have a better grasp of the conditions.
They may not have qualification to play for, but a chance to end their campaign by slaying a giant will be ample motivation for UAE.
Form guide
South Africa: WWWLW (Last five completed T20Is, most recent first)
UAE: LWLLL
In the spotlight: Kagiso Rabada and Muhammad Waseem
Team news – will South Africa rotate?
The match against UAE provides an opportunity for South Africa to rest a player or two before the next round of the tournament, as well as give some minutes to players who haven’t had a chance to play in this World Cup so far. South Africa could hand a game to Jason Smith, who for long looked like he was going to be South Africa’s finisher until Tristan Stubbs’ resurgence to form in the SA20 and his late call-up thanks to Donovan Ferreira’s injury.
South Africa XI (probable): 1. Aiden Markram (capt), 2. Quinton de Kock (wk), 3. Ryan Rickelton, 4. Dewald Brevis, 5. David Miller, 6. Tristan Stubbs/Jason Smith, 7. Marco Jansen, 8. Corbin Bosch, 9. Kagiso Rabada, 10. Keshav Maharaj/George Linde, 11. Lungi Ngidi/Anrich Nortje
UAE are unlikely to make a change to the side that took on Afghanistan.
UAE XI (probable): 1. Muhammad Waseem (capt), 2. Aryansh Sharma (wk), 3. Alishan Sharafu, 4. Sohaib Khan, 5. Syed Haider, 6. Harshit Kaushik, 7. Muhammad Arfan, 8. Haider Ali, 9. Simranjeet Singh, 10. Junaid Siddique, 11. Muhammad Jawadullah
Pitch and conditions
Stats and trivia
- This will be the first time these two teams meet in T20Is. They have played two ODIs in the past, and South Africa won both of those.
- Aiden Markram is just 105 runs away from becoming South Africa’s fourth-highest run-scorer in T20Is.
Quotes
“I wouldn’t like to make statements about that (South Africa going all the way). We were in a really tough group. The first box is ticked, getting through to the next stage. To me, the World Cup starts now.”
South Africa specialist coach Albie Morkel is not thinking too far ahead.
“Overall, our journey has been good so far. Yes, the first game, we never did well as a bowling unit but I think we batted well. But the last two games, we really proved that we are a better team than what was expected after the first game.”
UAE head coach Lalchand Rajput
Abhimanyu Bose is a sub-editor with ESPNcricinfo
