International T20s: Washouts, Injuries and World Cup Semifinal

Pakistan and South Africa meet in the second T20I at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium; Pakistan, after losing the series opener, are expected to keep the same XI with openers Sahibzada Farhan and Saim Ayub, while their middle order — including Babar Azam, Salman Ali Agha, Usman Khan and Hasan Nawaz — must recover. The Australia–India T20I at Canberra’s Manuka Oval was washed out after India reached 97/1 in 9.4 overs, with Shubman Gill 37* and Suryakumar Yadav 39*, and all‑rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy has been ruled out of the first three T20s with neck spasms. Manuka Oval typically offers a fair contest between bat and ball — an average first-innings T20 total near 156, good early bounce and carry, but surfaces that slow and aid spinners later, with competitive totals often 160–170. In the ICC Women’s World Cup semifinal at Guwahati, England will look to exploit South Africa’s persistent weakness against quality spin on the slow Barsapara wicket, while the Proteas remain heavily reliant on Laura Wolvaardt and need greater middle‑order contributions. England’s batting vulnerabilities were underlined by a recent New Zealand v England scorecard showing England dismissed for 175 (all out in 35.6 overs), reinforcing why spin could be decisive in Guwahati.