By Asif Naveed
Pakistan defeated South Africa by seven wickets at Faisalabad’s Iqbal Stadium to seal a historic 2-1 victory — their first-ever One Day International (ODI) series win at home against the Proteas.
The packed crowd was treated to a stylish performance by Babar Azam and a brilliant knock from Saim Ayub, who guided Pakistan’s chase of 144 with confidence.
Although Fakhar Zaman fell early, Babar’s fluent 27, including five boundaries, kept Pakistan steady before Saim’s explosive 70-ball 77, featuring 11 fours and a six, took the game beyond South Africa’s reach. Mohammad Rizwan remained unbeaten on 32, hitting the winning runs alongside Salman Ali Agha.
Earlier, South Africa were bowled out for just 143 runs in 37.5 overs after opting to bat first. The visitors had started strongly with openers Quinton de Kock (53) and Lhuandre Pretorius (39) putting up 72 runs for the first wicket.
However, Pakistan’s spin trio of Abrar Ahmed (4-27), Mohammad Nawaz (2-31), and Salman Ali Agha (2-18) dismantled the batting lineup, triggering a dramatic collapse.
De Kock, who had scored a century in the previous match, was trapped lbw by Nawaz, while Abrar’s spin magic ran through the middle order — cleaning up Rubin Hermann, Donovan Ferreira, and Corbin Bosch in quick succession. Pakistan skipper Shaheen Shah Afridi (2-18) wrapped up the innings with two wickets in two balls.
Speaking after the match, captain Shaheen Afridi credited his team’s all-round performance, saying, “The spinners turned the game in our favour when early wickets didn’t come. The credit goes to the entire team.”
South Africa’s Quinton de Kock, who was named player of the series, admitted batting conditions were challenging and that his side fell short of a competitive total. “We were looking for around 250 runs, but we lost wickets at key moments,” he said.
In Pakistan’s reply, Saim Ayub and Babar Azam treated fans to a flurry of elegant strokes. Saim dominated the South African attack, reaching his fifty in just 39 balls. After Babar’s run-out in the 11th over, Rizwan and Salman ensured there were no late hiccups as Pakistan chased down the target with 24.5 overs to spare.
This victory marked a new chapter for Pakistan under Shaheen Shah Afridi’s leadership, combining youthful aggression with disciplined bowling to secure a memorable home series triumph.
