Akmal starts the over with boundaries to mid wicket and backward point, but could not take advantage of two full tosses. Parnell had the chance to run Rehman out in his follow through, but did not want to risk overthrows. Still, at 12 runs, that is the longest bar on the runs per over chart. Parnell 4-0-27-0.
Steyn returns for his final burst, and has Akmal top edging a pull into no-man's-land. He peppers the batsmen with short balls. Steyn 3-0-11-2.
Just singles in that over as Parnell returns. At least Pakistan have avoided the ignomy of their lowest ever total - that will remain on 74. Parnell 3-0-15-0.
WICKET! Sohail Tanvir st de Kock b Imran Tahir 0 (3). Another stumping off a wide as that one spins down the leg side and Tanvir losts his balance momentarily. Tahir 4-0-17-2.
WICKET! Abdul Razzaq c Miller b McLaren 10 (16). Short bull and he pulls it, but more height than distance and taken at long on. Earlier there was a great shot by Akmal, beautifully timed lofted drive for the first 6 of the game. McLaren 4-0-29-1.
De Kock pulls off a quick stumping as Akmal leans far forward in defence, but might have got a bootlace behind the line. Benefit of the doubt to the batsman, but another tidy over reeled off by the leggie. Tahir 3-0-13-1.
McLaren back on. There is almost a run out as they take a leg bye. Razzaq has his eye in now, smashing one over mid off. 9 runs in the over, the most productive of the innings thus far. McLaren 3-0-21-0.
Tahir does good work there, no loose deliveries and he found the edge of Akmal's bat as well. Tahir 2-0-10-1.
Pakistan battling to get anything more than singles and wides. The fielders are giving nothing away. Parnell 2-0-10-0.
WICKET! Shoaib Malik st de Kock b Imran Tahir 12 (23). Malik almost gave a return catch earlier in the over, but comes down the track and Tahir pushes it a bit wider. Tahir 1-0-5-1.
Parnell into the attack now, and half way through the over Umar Akmal calls for a new bat. There's a healthy inside half on that one as he drives past mid on for 4, but he has to test the splice as well as Parnell bang the next one in and has to sway away from the last. Parnell 1-0-6-0.
Malik gets away with a top-edged pull, Imran Tahir too slow on the fine leg boundary to get under it. A welcome boundary as Akmal nudges one wide of the keeper, but misses a smilar shot next ball. McLaren 2-0-13-0.
WICKET! Shahid Afridi c McLaren b Tsotsobe 10 (13). Afridi will never settle for singles, and goes after a short ball. Not well timed though, and McLaren comes sliding in from long leg to take a good catch. Tsotsobe has finished his spell, but it has been a telling one. Tsotsobe 4-2-9-2.
McLaren starts with a loosener, Afridi fails to connect. His last ball was a full toss hit straight to mid wicket. Malik stepped across his stumps to work one to deep mid wicket. McLaren 1-0-5-0.
Another maiden for Tsotsobe as he keeps a tight line. Malik misses out to the one loose ball, but perhaps that was the sucker punch. Tsotsobe 3-2-5-1.
Afridi manages to clear short third man with another wild hit, and Malik gets off the mark with an edge to third man. Steyn 2-0-8-2.
Afridi swings and misses first ball, clouts one over mid off and then almost gets a thick edge to carry to third man. Malik, on the other hand, blocks one and leaves two. Tsotsobe 2-1-5-1.
WICKET! Sohaib Maqsoob c de Kock b Steyn 4 (4). Maqsoob got off the mark with a thick edge wide of slip, but is not so luck later in the over as a finer edge nestles in the keeper's gloves. WICKET! Mohammad Hafeez c de Kock b Steyn 0 (2). Was Hafeez trying to hide from Steyn? If so, he has been found out as another thin edge goes unerringly to the keeper. Steyn 1-0-4-2.
WICKET! Ahmed Shehzad c Amla b Tsotsobe 0 (5). Great start from Tsotsobe, moving some back into the righ hander and then tempting him with an away swinger which is edged between slip and keeper, but Amla dives across and takes it safely in both hands, Maiden wicket, not a bad way to start a bowling spell. Tsotsobe 1-1-0-1.
South Africa: Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock, Faf du Plessis (capt), JP Duminy, AB de Villiers, David Miller, Ryan McLaren, Wayne Parnell, Dale Steyn, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Imran Tahir.
Pakistan: Ahmed Shehzad, Mohammad Hafeez (capt), Sohaib Maqsood, Shoaib Malik, Umar Akmal, Abdur Razzaq, Shahid Afridi, Sohail Tanvir, Abdur Rehman, Saeed Ajmal, Mohammad Irfan.
The pitch looks good and should encourage strokeplay. it is still warm and of course no chance of rain, but some dew might challenge the bowlers later on.
Faf du Plessis makes the wrong call and Pakistan have won the toss. Mohammad Hafeez will bat first. SA wanted to bat as well.
Hello and welcome to the first of two T20s between Pakistan and South Africa in Dubai, where the hosts will look to justify their second spot on the ICC rankings. Follow all the action here with us from 4pm GMT.