Pakistan, South Africa hope to heal the hurt

What does hurt look like? What does bruising sound like? What does doubt smell like? If you're at Edgbaston on Wednesday, you will find out.

India hammered Pakistan by 65 runs on Sunday, the day after Australia thrashed South Africa by 64 runs. And here the Pakistanis and South Africans are, peeling their groggy selves off the canvas to take each other on in Birmingham in a game that looms as a crossroads for their T20 World Cup campaigns.

These teams now have nowhere to go but up. But the grim truth is that, barring a washout, one of them will dwindle to another defeat.

At least South Africa, who suffered their smack at Old Trafford, won't have to return to the scene of that crime on Wednesday. Pity poor Pakistan, who were indeed handed their heart on a plate at Edgbaston.

Sunday's result – albeit not its margin – wouldn't have come as a complete surprise. Of their last 20 T20Is, Pakistan have won only seven. On top of that, four of those successes were achieved against minnows Ireland and Zimbabwe.

But the South Africans will have been shocked to be dealt with so roughly. They have, after all, reached the final of the last three global tournaments in both formats.

The upside is that bouncing back from a dismal display is less difficult in this format than any other. But it still needs to be done, and that won't happen easily.

Both teams will know that they need to bat far better than they did in their previous games. Pakistan were shot out for 106 in 17 overs with Muneeba Ali's 35-ball 41 their best effort.

South Africa made one more run off two fewer deliveries with Laura Wolvaardt's 44 off 39 and Nadine de Klerk's 22-ball 25 the highest of the lowlights.

Another commonality was weakness against spin. Deepti Sharma took a career-best 5/10 and the Aussies' four spinners claimed 8/72.

As three of the top 10 spinners in the rankings – Sadia Iqbal, Nonkululeko Mlaba and Nashra Sandhu – are likely to be picked on Wednesday, dealing more effectively with the slow poisoners won't be simple. But it will be vital to the cause.

As will all of the rest of what both teams will hope will add up to redemption. That's the only way to get rid of all that hurt, bruising and doubt.

When: Wednesday, June 17, 2026, 6.30pm local/7.30pm SA time/11pm IST

Where: Edgbaston, Birmingham

What to expect: Showers have been forecast for the morning and afternoon, but the evening is due to be dry. An impressively fair set of conditions.

Pakistan: What to do when your best XI is walloped? Send the same side out there again and tell them to do better.

Possible XI: Muneeba Ali, Gull Feroza, Ayesha Zafar, Saira Jabeen, Natalia Pervaiz, Fatima Sana (capt), Aliya Riaz, Rameen Shamim, Nashra Sandhu, Tasmia Rubab, Sadia Iqbal.

South Africa: The No. 3 spot remains unsettled. Maybe it's time to give it back to Marizanne Kapp.

Possible XI: Sune Luus, Laura Wolvaardt (capt), Marizanne Kapp, Annerie Dercksen, Nadine de Klerk, Chloe Tryon, Kayla Reyneke, Sinalo Jafta, Shabnim Ismail, Ayabonga Khaka, Nonkululeko Mlaba.

• South Africa are coming off their biggest ever loss in a T20 World Cup.
• Pakistan have twice suffered worse beatings in other editions of the tournament than they did on Sunday.
• South Africa have won all three of their T20 World Cup matches against Pakistan.

"We are here to win. We just need to make fewer mistakes and believe in ourselves. We have to play more positive cricket, more fearless cricket." – Wahab Riaz

"We're going to take the lessons and come back strong and be really positive against Pakistan. We know they're going to bowl a lot of spin. We need to be brave and take it on." – Nadine de Klerk