FAISALABAD: Pakistan secured a dramatic two-wicket victory over South Africa in the first match of the ODI series at Faisalabad’s Iqbal Stadium. The home side chased down the target of 264 runs in the final over, thrilling fans with a tense finish.
Batting second, Pakistan showed resilience after early setbacks. Salman Agha led the chase with a steady 62 runs, while Mohammad Rizwan added a crucial 55. Fakhar Zaman contributed 45, and young Saim Ayub scored a confident 39. Other notable contributions came from Hussain Talat with 22 runs and Mohammad Nawaz with 9.
Captain Shaheen Shah Afridi held his nerve to remain unbeaten on 4 runs, guiding Pakistan to victory alongside Naseem Shah, who stayed not out on 0 as the winning runs were scored.
For South Africa, Corbin Bosch, Lungi Ngidi, and Donavon Ferreira each took two wickets. Jorne Fortuin and George Linde added one wicket apiece.
Earlier, South Africa, who were sent in to bat first, were dismissed for 263 runs in 49.1 overs. Quinton de Kock, returning from retirement, top-scored with 63 runs. Luan-dre Pretorius made 57, while captain Matthew Breetzke contributed 42. Corbin Bosch scored 41, and Sinethemba Qeshile added 22. The remaining batters failed to make a major impact as Pakistan’s bowlers dominated the innings.
Naseem Shah and Abrar Ahmed impressed with three wickets each. Saim Ayub took two wickets, while Mohammad Nawaz and Shaheen Shah Afridi claimed one each, restricting the Proteas below their desired total.
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With this victory, Pakistan takes a 1–0 lead in the ODI series. The team’s balanced performance with both bat and ball highlights their growing confidence ahead of the next match in the series.
