The race to make it to the semifinals of World Cup 2023 is heating up now with the mega event entering its second half. Pakistan are facing South Africa today in Chennai in a must-win encounter and clearly, emotions seem to be getting better of the players now. Mohammad Rizwan who is usually calm and composed lost his cool on Marco Jansen during the match after the latter sledged him.
The incident took place in the 7th over of the innings when Jansen dismissed Imam-ul-Haq and that led to Rizwan coming out to bat. The very first ball, Jansen couldn't hold on to a tough catch off his own bowling as Rizwan was given a reprieve. The batter heaved across the line off the short ball next up only for the ball to fly over third-man boundary for four. This irked the bowler as he had a go at Pakistan's best batter of the tournament.
Even Rizwan didn't hold himself back and gave it back to Jansen as things got heated up in the middle. Gerald Coetzee was quick to come in between and settle down things while the umpire at the bowler's end also got involved to calm things. It ended with Rizwan fist-bumping to the umpire as well but Jansen didn't stop there. He still had something to say at the end of the over after delivering a dot ball as this time, the Pakistan batter just smiled back at him.
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Meanwhile, Pakistan have made a couple of changes to their playing XI with Hasan Ali and Usama Mir not a part of the playing XI with Mohammad Nawaz and Mohammad Wasim Jnr coming in. For South Africa too, Lizaad Williams, Kagiso Rabada and Reeza Hendricks are missing as Temba Bavuma, Tabraiz Shamsi and Lungi Ngidi returning to the side.
South Africa (Playing XI): Quinton de Kock(w), Temba Bavuma(c), Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Marco Jansen, Gerald Coetzee, Keshav Maharaj, Tabraiz Shamsi, Lungi Ngidi
Pakistan (Playing XI): Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam(c), Mohammad Rizwan(w), Saud Shakeel, Shadab Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Haris Rauf
