ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Australia chose to bowl first against South Africa in the first game of the T20 World Cup Super 12 stage as the big teams enter the fray on Saturday.

Defending champion West Indies will play England in another heavyweight matchup — a repeat of the last final — later in the day.

Australia decided to leave out Ashton Agar for the Group 1 game, leaving Adam Zampa and Glenn Maxwell as the spin-bowling options for the Aussies. Mitchell Marsh was listed to bat at No. 3.

Veteran opening batsman David Warner plays amid a poor run of form that has made him a focus of scrutiny ahead of Australia's opening game at the tournament.

South Africa selected two specialist spinners in Tabraiz Shamsi and Keshav Maharaj. Shamsi passed a fitness test after a slight groin problem in South Africa's last warmup game.

The opening game might prove vital for both teams' chances of progressing to the knockout stage from a strong Super 12 group that also contains West Indies, England, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. The top two teams from the two Super 12 groups qualify for the semifinals.

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Lineups:

Australia: Aaron Finch (captain), David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Steve Smith, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood.

South Africa: Temba Bavuma (captain), Quinton de Kock, Aiden Markram, Rassie van der Dussen, David Miller, Heinrich Klaasen, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Anrich Nortje, Tabraiz Shamsi.

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