Pakistan field with teams unchanged

Sept 18 - Toss: Pakistan sent Australia in to bat.

With the Wanderers bathed in bright afternoon sunshine, Shoaib Malik won the toss and elected to send Australia in to bat in a match that would in all likelihood decide the first semi-finalist of the ICC World Twenty20. Australia trounced Bangladesh in their opening Super Eights game, while Pakistan started with a thumping 33-run triumph over Sri Lanka.

Both teams were unchanged, with the Australian line-up back in prime form after that embarrassing hiccup against Zimbabwe. Pakistan's hopes depended primarily on Mohammad Asif and Umar Gul, though the wrong-foot left-arm bowling of Sohail Tanvir was also likely to pose a tricky question or two.


Pakistan had problems at the top of their order, but persisted with Imran Nazir and Salman Butt. The onus though was on Malik and Younis Khan to once again carry the batting, against an attack that boast the miserly Stuart Clark, the canny Nathan Bracken, and the back-in-form Brett Lee.