South African cricket Series in Pakistan

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Mohammad Rizwan's 104-run knock propels Pakistan to victory in first T20I against S. Africa


Dawn.com
February 11, 2021

South Africa won the toss and opted to field in the first T20 against Pakistan. — DawnNewsTV

Players of the Pakistan team are seen at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Thursday. — Photo courtesy: PCB Twitter


Mohammad Rizwan's splendid 104-run knock propelled Pakistan to victory in the first Twenty20 International against South Africa at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Thursday.

It was Rizwan's highest-ever score in a T20I match and helped Pakistan set a respectable target for the visitors after the hosts suffered a loss early on when captain Babar Azam was run out in the very first over.


Earlier, South Africa won the toss and elected to field first against the hosts.


Pakistan innings

Pakistan suffered an early loss when their talisman Babar Azam was run out by Bjorn Fortuin on the second ball of the match for a duck.

The hosts struggled to find their footing, losing Haider Ali at the start of the sixth over when he was caught out by Jacques Snyman off Andile Phehlukwayo's ball. Haider was replaced by Hussain Talat at the pitch who tried to swiftly pick up runs, hitting two consecutive fours and scoring 15 runs off nine balls.

He lost his wicket in the 10th over, leaving Pakistan struggling to build momentum.

Mohammad Rizwan brought much-needed stability for the hosts, hitting three sixes in one over to complete his half-century, his second in T20Is.

Pakistan lost their fourth wicket in the 13th over as South Africa continued their flawless fielding as Iftikhar Ahmed was caught out by Reeza Hendricks off Fortuin's ball.

Khushdil Shah, who replaced Iftikhar, played it safe before hitting a huge six in the 17th over.

He tried to hit another boundary on the next ball but was caught out by Fortuin instead.

Faheem Ashraf was caught out by Miller on Phehlukwayo's ball in the 18th over.



South Africa innings

South Africa were off to a solid start, having managed to score 44 runs with zero loss of wickets at the end of five overs.

Haris Rauf's over proved to be the most expensive for the hosts as the Proteas scored 18 runs off the six balls.

Leg-spinner Usman Qadir took the first wicket for Pakistan as he bowled out Janneman Malan in the seventh over.

He took Jacques Snyman's wicket too in the ninth over with a brilliantly bowled googly. Faheem Ashraf took the third wicket for Pakistan when David Miller was caught out by wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan.

However, Faheem's luck ran out in the next over he bowled with South African batsmen hitting three consecutive boundaries.

The Proteas lost their fourth wicket when captain Heinrich Klaasen was caught out by Hussain Talat on Rauf's ball. Reeza Hendricks was run out in the 18th over when he misjudged and ran out of his crease while Andile Phehlukwayo stayed out.

The visitors lost their next wicket in the same over as Phehlukwayo was caught out.

Pakistan entered the game after sweeping a two-match Test series 2-0 against the Proteas and look to be the favourites in the three-match T20 series.

In the lead-up to the ongoing home series against South Africa, the Pakistan team and its management faced a lot of criticism after disastrous off-shore series results in Australia (November 2019), England (August 2020) and recently in New Zealand (Dec-Jan 2020-21). At one stage the jobs of head coach Misbahul Haq and bowling coach Waqar Younis were at stake. However, the home Test series victory against South Africa has come as a breath of fresh air for the PCB, the team and its management.

South Africa hold a slight edge over Pakistan in their head-to-head T20 record. The former have won eight games out of 14 while the Green Shirts came out victorious in six. Pakistan lost the three-match series 2-1 when they last faced the Proteas in a T20 rubber staged in their backyard in February 2019.

The second and third T20 matches of the series will be staged on Saturday and Sunday, also at Gaddafi Stadium.


Teams

Pakistan:

Babar Azam (capt), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Haider Ali, Hussain Talat, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Usman Qadir, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf


South Africa:

Janneman Malan, Reeza Hendricks, Jacques Snyman, Heinrich Klaasen (capt & wk), David Miller, Dwaine Pretorius, Andile Phehlukwayo, Bjorn Fortuin, Junior Dala, Lutho Sipamla, Tabraiz Shamsi.

 

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https://twitter.com/x/status/1359879285968936960

 

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Five-wicket Pretorius helps South Africa level Twenty20 series


AFP
February 13, 2021

Mohammad Rizwan raises his arms during the second T20I against South Africa at Gaddafi Stadium. — Photo courtesy PCB

South Africa's Pite van Biljon plays a shot during the second T20 international cricket match between Pakistan and South Africa at the Gaddafi Cricket Stadium in Lahore on February 13. — AFP

Pakistan's captain Babar Azam (R) takes a catch of South Africa's Jon-Jon Smuts (not pictured) during the second T20 international cricket match between Pakistan and South Africa at the Gaddafi Cricket Stadium in Lahore on February 13. — AFP


Fast bowler Dwaine Pretorius recorded the best figures for South Africa in the shortest format to help his team beat Pakistan by six wickets in the second Twenty20 international in Lahore on Saturday.

The 31-year-old grabbed 5-17 to keep Pakistan down to 144-7 in 20 overs before Pite van Biljon (42) and Reeza Hendricks (42) took South Africa past the modest target in 16.2 overs.


It was a canny performance by Pretorius who marginally improved on the previous best figures by a South African, 5-19 by medium pacer Ryan McLaren against the West Indies at North Sound in 2010.

Mohammad Rizwan top-scored for Pakistan with a 41-ball 51 laced with six boundaries and a six while Faheem Ashraf hit two boundaries and as many sixes in his 12-ball 30 not out.

Pakistan's lanky paceman Shaheen Shah Afridi gave his team an ideal start by dismissing Janneman Malan with the second ball of the innings and Jon-Jon Smuts in the following over, finishing with 2-18 in three overs.

But Hendricks and Biljon punished some erratic bowling during their 77-run third wicket stand before both fell in successive overs.

Hendricks, who hit three sixes and as many boundaries in his 30-ball knock, was finally caught off leg-spinner Usman Qadir in the 12th over. Biljon hit two sixes and three boundaries off 32 balls before he returned a gentle leading edge back to left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz.

David Miller (25 not out) and skipper Heinrich Klaasen (17 not out) added 40 in an unbroken fifth wicket stand to see their team across the line.

“I am happy that I have contributed to the victory,” said Pretorius. “We had a plan in bowling and we executed them well for this nice win.”

The series decider will also be in Lahore on Sunday.

“It will be a big night on Sunday and I hope that we can pull off a series win,” said Klaasen.

Pakistan were once again lifted by Rizwan who followed his 89 against New Zealand in December and 104 not out in the first match with another superb knock.

After losing the toss, Pakistan skipper Babar Azam opened the batting but was soon on his way back to the pavilion as Pretorius trapped him leg before in the second over.

At 48-6, the home side were struggling but Rizwan, who became only the fifth Pakistani batsman to score three consecutive T20I fifties, added 45 for the fourth wicket with Iftikhar Ahmed who made 20.

Mohammad Hafeez (twice), Shahid Afridi, Umar Akmal and Azam have previously hit three fifties in successive T20I matches.

Rizwan finally departed for 51, holing out to Andile Phehlukwayo after falling for a Pretorius slower ball.
Pretorius also removed Iftikhar and Khushdil Shah for 15 before yorking Nawaz for a second-ball duck, as he took more than one wicket for the first time in his 13-match T20 international career.


Pakistan:
Babar Azam (capt), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Haider Ali, Hussain Talat, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Usman Qadir, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf


South Africa:
Janneman Malan, Reeza Hendricks, JJ Smuts, Pite van Biljon, David Miller, Heinrich Klaasen (capt, wk), Andile Phehlukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius, Glenton Stuurman, Lutho Sipamla, Tabraiz Shamsi

 

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Pakistan beat Proteas in final T20I, win T20I series 2-1

https://nation.com.pk/NewsSource/web-desk

February 14, 2021


On Sunday, Pakistan emerged victorious against South Africa in the third and final Twenty20 international in Lahore.

The Green Shirts, chasing a 165-run target set by the Proteas, managed to win with four wickets in hand with eight balls to spare.


South Africa set the score at a loss of eight wickets. The side's top scorers were David Miller (85 not out) and Janneman Malan (27).

From the Pakistan side, debutant Zahid Mahmood emerged as the top wicket-taker with a haul of three. Mohammad Nawaz and Hasan Ali took two each and Usman Qadir took one.

Pakistan captain Babar Azam won the toss and opted to bowl first.

With the series locked at one-all, Pakistan have brought in leg-spinner Zahid Mahmood for his international debut.

Also included are batsman Asif Ali and medium pacer Hasan Ali. The trio replaced Khushdil Shah, Iftikhar Ahmed and Haris Rauf.

 

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It's a good win, bowlers are coming along nicely

Our fielding has been good

Our big problem as usual is batting
We have filled our team with hitters but outside of Babbar and Mohammed Rizwan who exactly is going to bat big for us?

They seem to be 6,6,out type batsmen

 

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Pakistan 169 for 6 (Babar 44, Shamsi 4-25) beat South Africa 164 for 8 (Miller 85*, Mahmood 3-40) by four wickets

Pakistan subjected South Africa to their first T20I series defeat in the subcontinent and fourth successive T20I series loss, leaving them empty-handed from their first tour to the country since 2007. In an entertaining finale at the Gaddafi Stadium, Pakistan relied on Mohammad Rizwan and the lower order to take them home, while Babar Azam enjoyed his best knock of the series after scores of 0 and 5 in the first two matches.

This victory was Pakistan's 100th T20I win, making them the first team to register a century of success in this format.

South Africa have no similar good news to report. They saved one of their worst batting collapses for last and lost seven wickets for 55 runs to slump to 65 for 7 just after the halfway stage of their innings. It was up to David Miller to prop them up and he pulled off one of his most authoritative knocks while ushering the tail to take South Africa to a competitive total.

The side fielding second has found it difficult to control the ball in the wet conditions but South Africa put on a spirited effort when their turn came. However, their frontline seamers were all expensive and untidy, allowing Pakistan to win with eight balls to spare. If anything, South Africa will take heart from the knowledge that their second-string side fought hard in Pakistan, but it won't take away from the pressure building on this outfit. South Africa have only won two out of eight trophies in the Mark Boucher era, dating back to December 2019.

Dream Debut

Zahid Mahmood was called up to the Pakistan squad in place of the injured Shadab Khan and had to wait for the last match for an opportunity but he made the most of it. He started with a short ball that Janneman Malan smashed through long-on but soon recovered to take two wickets, and could have had a third in his opening over to celebrate a dream start to international cricket.

Mahmood's first victim was South Africa's stand-in captain Heinrich Klaasen, who tried to sweep the first ball he faced but didn't account for the extra bounce. He top-edged to Usman Qadir at short fine-leg. With the next ball, Mahmood had Malan trapped in the crease by the topspinner in front of middle stump. It was given not out initially but Mahmood convinced Babar to review with three seconds left on the clock and ball-tracking showed that Malan was out.

Three balls later, Mahmood thought he had Andile Phehlukwayo when a full ball hit him below the knee roll but the review showed it had pitched just outside leg stump. But Phehlukwayo didn't last much longer. He slog-swept the next ball he faced to deep mid-wicket, leaving South Africa 48 for 6.

Mahmood enjoyed more success in his third over when he bowled Dwaine Pretorius with a delivery that turned gently as Pretorius attempted to mow it over midwicket and missed.

Rizwan falls short of record

Rizwan's magical week has ended. After scoring his first Test century last Sunday and his first T20I hundred on Thursday, Rizwan was on track to join Brendon McCullum and Chris Gayle as one of only three players to reel off four fifty-plus scores. He took on South Africa's left-arm spinners, Bjorn Fortuin and Jon-Jon Smuts and pulled, cut and slogged anything short, wide or slow but was undone by Tabraiz Shamsi.

The wrist spinner almost bowled him with a delivery that was low on leg stump and squirted past, and could have had him caught behind but Klaasen could not hold on to a tough chance from the bottom edge. Shamsi's next ball was yorker-length, Rizwan tried to sweep and missed and was struck on the boot in front of middle stump. He reviewed, in hope, but ball-tracking showed his leg stump would have been disturbed and he had to go for 42.

Shamsi's star rises

After spending the early part of his career playing second fiddle to Imran Tahir, Shamsi stood up as South Africa's best bowler in the country of Tahir's birth. He collected career-best figures of 4 for 25 in this match to cap off a sterling series in which he turned the ball more than the home spinners and consistently challenged batsmen who can pick and play spin.

After taking a wicket with his first ball and threatening Rizwan twice before getting rid of him, Shamsi bowled Hussain Talat with a straight ball, as Talat played for spin and left off stump exposed, and then had Asif Ali caught at long-on looking for six but failing to get hold of the ball. Shamsi finished the series with six wickets for 61 runs at an economy rate of just over five runs an over.