Fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi grabbed three wickets and star batter Babar Azam hit a half century to guide Pakistan to four wicket win over South Africa in the second Twenty20 international on Sunday.
Shaheen took 3-26 to restrict South Africa to 139-9 before Azam’s 47-ball 68 helped Pakistan cross the target for the loss of six wickets in 19 overs for a 2-1 series win in Lahore.
South Africa won the first match by 55 runs in Rawalpindi while Pakistan took the second by nine wickets, also in Lahore.
A full house of 32 000 at Gaddafi Stadium cheered the home boy Azam when he cracked three successive boundaries off Ottneil Baartman to reach 37th half century — his first after 13 T20I innings.
Azam and Salman Agha (33) lifted Pakistan during a solid 76-run stand for the third wicket after Saim Ayub (nought) and Sahibzada Farhan (19) fell by seventh over.
Azam smashed nine boundaries but his dismissal to pacer Corbin Bosch put Pakistan in a spot of bother with Hasan Nawaz (five) and Mohammad Nawaz (nought) falling in quick succession.
But Usman Khan, six not out, hit the winning single.
Skipper Agha showed delight at series win.
“I am happy at the come from behind series win,” said Agha. “We were 1-0 down so it was a great effort by the players to win the next two.”
South African skipper Donovan Ferreira rued batting failure.
“We lost wickets in cluster and didn’t score much but credit to the bowlers to keep it tight,” said Ferreira. “It was a great learning for us.”
South Africa, sent in to bat, slipped to two down without a run as Shaheen dismissed Quinton de Kock and Luhan-dre Pretorius – both without scoring – off the second and third ball of the match.
It became three down without a run, but Dewald Brevis overturned a leg-before decision off the fifth ball.
The reprieve helped him add 38 for the third wicket with Reeza Hendricks to revive the innings, before debutant Usman Tariq broke the stand, getting Brevis caught off his second ball.
Brevis hit two sixes in his 22-ball 21.
Hendricks and Ferreira (14-ball 29 with three sixes) added 34 for the fifth wicket.
Hendricks, top-scorer with a 36-ball 34 with two boundaries, holed out in the 15th over off Tariq who finished with 2-26.
It was left to Bosch to help South Africa reach a fighting total with 30 not out.
In an age of information overload, Sunrise is The Namibian’s morning briefing, delivered at 6h00 from Monday to Friday. It offers a curated rundown of the most important stories from the past 24 hours – occasionally with a light, witty touch. It’s an essential way to stay informed. Subscribe and join our newsletter community.
The Namibian uses AI tools to assist with improved quality, accuracy and efficiency, while maintaining editorial oversight and journalistic integrity.
Stay informed with The Namibian – your source for credible journalism. Get in-depth reporting and opinions for
only N$85 a month. Invest in journalism, invest in democracy –
Subscribe Now!
