Pakistan beat South Africa by two wickets in 1st ODI on November 4
Shaheen Shah Afridi marked first ODI as Pakistan captain with win
Hosts reach 234-run total despite late drama
Pakistan left it late but eventually sealed a dramatic two-wicket win over South Africa in the first one-day international at Iqbal Cricket Stadium in Faisalabad.
Put in to bat by Shaheen Shah Afridi in his first ODI as Pakistan captain, South Africa got off to a blazing start thanks to a quickfire 98-run partnership between Lhuan-dre Pretorius (57) and Quinton de Kock (63).
Their innings tapered from there, but helpful contributions from stand-in captain Matthew Breetzke (42) and Corbin Bosch (41) lifted the Proteas to 263 all out, with Naseem Shah (3-40) and Abrar Ahmed (3-53) picking up three wickets apiece.
Pakistan’s chase started in a similar fashion, with Fakhar Zaman (45) and Saim Ayub (39) stitching together a solid 87-run stand before the middle order came in to steady proceedings.
Mohammad Rizwan (55) and Salman Agha (62) then nearly took Pakistan home themselves, but as it often does in Pakistan, late drama unfolded to produce a thrilling finish.
Hussain Talat (22), Hasan Nawaz (one) and Mohammad Nazaz (nine) were dismissed to spark some nerves, but Pakistan held their composure to get over the line with two balls to spare.
Data Debrief: Hosts' happy return to Faisalabad
Tuesday's match saw the return of international cricket to the Iqbal Cricket Stadium in Faisalabad after 17 years, and the fans could hardly have asked for a more thrilling encounter.
Indeed, Pakistan have a formidable record here, having now won their last six men's ODIs at this ground, bowling first on the day in each of their last five wins in that span.
This marks their longest winning run at the venue in the history of the format.
