Pakistan defeated South Africa by six wickets in their successful bid to qualify for the final of the ongoing tri-nation tournament. Chasing down 353 runs, they shattered quite a few records, including the highest successful run chase in Pakistan’s ODI history. Mohammad Rizwan (122*) and Salman Agha (134) each scored a century, contributing to a monumental partnership consisting of 260 runs for the fourth wicket, which is also the highest for Pakistan in limited-overs cricket.
Importantly, South Africa batted first and piled up a mammoth 352 runs on the board. Captain Temba Bavuma led by example, with 82 off three, while Matthew Breetzke made 83 off 84 balls. Heinrich Klaasen was equally brilliant, as he smashed 87 runs off only 56 balls. In the end, Kyle Verreynne played a crucial knock of 44 not out to help the Proteas set a defendable total.
Pakistan had a slow start to the chase as Babar Azam and Saud Shakeel departed after making 23 and 15 runs respectively. Opener Fakhar Zaman scored 41 runs from 28 balls, leaving the hosts at 91/3. It seemed like the odds were against them, but captain Rizwan and Agha played marathon innings that turned the tide and ushered Pakistan into history.
Meanwhile, South Africa were clearly deficient in character with the ball. A number of their key players are currently away as Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen ruled out of tournament duties with SA20,while Anrich Nortje and Gerald Coetzee are out on respective injuries. Yet they tested the Rizwan-led team on the day but just were not good enough as Rizwan and Agha were phenomenal, to say the least.
With this win, Pakistan are now through to the final of the tri-fragile union where they will meet New Zealand on February 14. The Black Caps won the first match against Pakistan in the tournament, but the team came back nicely against South Africa, setting an excellent platform for a cracking contest.
Pakistan’s successful run-case in ODI cricket:
Year Opposition Target
2025 South Africa 353
2022 Australia 349
2023 Sri Lanka 345
2023 New Zealand 337
