Pakistan (242/7) defeat South Africa (239/9) by 3 wickets in a nail biting encounter to win the 1st ODI

[followed]

Hard fought win. Brilliant by Salman and obviously saim the star of the match.

3rd highest chase on this ground.

 

[GLORY OF '92]

Good win. Need more of these to build that tough mentality.

 

[Mahee]

Pakistan cannot be stopped from winning the Champions trophy if it happens in Pakistan....they are looking strong.

 

[Mohraheem]

Salman agha to Chacha this is Nepal

 

[ethan hunt]

Thankfully Naseem isnt a choker like Shaheen. Warna warr gaye thay.

 

[stani_pak]

Very happy with the result, to be honest I did not think Pakistan would have won, great fight back from them, Saim, Salman and Naseem shah should take a bow and keeping there cool for batting there way to a victory. The running between wickets is a concern but it seems to be always the case with PAK. Babar and Rizwan can learn something from Saim and Salman

 

[Ahmed216]

Great to see Salman lift Kaptaana up in celebration at the end

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Brilliant from Salman. No idea why everyone was jumping on him for rotating the strike at the end. You can't just single-handedly win a game on your own on a tricky pitch like this one.

All in all, he showed good game awareness and mental toughness in a high-pressure situation.

 

[Aami]

He should bat at number 4

lol

 

[Hyder]

One of the best performance by pakistan allrounder

 

[followed]

Zimbabar and rizwan has to up their game.
They have been terrible for long now

 

[Nasty Naz]

Salman agha with the winning runs! What a fantastic match. Match winning performance for Salman by getting those first 4 wickets and good composure at the end to win the match.

Best innings of Saim's early career. It was a tough pitch and facing good bowling attack. Despite the collapse, he stayed calm, got himself in before hitting big. A shame he couldn't stay at the end but he was incredible today.

These are the type of ODI matches that are the best to watch. 50/50 for batting & bowling and a 250 score can be a winning score. It tests batsmen skills and any end of partnership can bring the bowlers back into the game. Good stuff.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Nice to see Pakistan win a close game against South Africa, especially considering the last match we played against them in Chennai.

 

[mominsaigol]

Brilliant from Salman. No idea why everyone was jumping on him for rotating the strike at the end. You can't just single-handedly win a game on your own on a tricky pitch like this one.

All in all, he showed good game awareness and mental toughness in a high-pressure situation.

Mom performance and an atg performance.

4 wickets + not put and pressure runs in pressure moments.

 

[emranabbas]

Great to see Salman lift Kaptaana up in celebration at the end

Should have lifted kaptana and throw him in rubbish bin

And that's the only memory you have of the whole match?

 

[Wasim Ghulam]

Thankfully Naseem isnt a choker like Shaheen. Warna warr gaye thay.

shaheen has hero keera

 

[RidiculousMan]

Mom performance and an atg performance.

4 wickets + not put and pressure runs in pressure moments.

Last time someone put a Goat All round performance in ODIs, It was Bas de Leede in WC Qualifiers 2023

 

[Savak]

Career best batting performances from Saim and Salman. Saim living up to his Saeed Anwar type talent. Pakistan finally can move past relying solely on Babar in limited overs cricket.

 

[Wasim Ghulam]

Mom performance and an atg performance.

4 wickets + not put and pressure runs in pressure moments.

never saw babar win game for Pakistan by Batting till the end

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Matches like these always trump high scoring encounters on flat pitches

 

[shaz619]

Congrats Pak fans, but again, some individual brilliance saw them through; they made a big mess off this run chase and the batting line up is just shocking. Babar & Rizwan are a massive liability and all responsible should be locked up for how they are keeping Fakhar Zaman out.

Pak’s openers are sorted with Saim & Fakhar, Salman I think is a good middle order option. They need some fire power down the order and the no.3 & no.4 positions are not set in stone unfortunately, Babar is out of nick but is a big player and our GOAT blah blah so he will have to play, Rizwan at no.4 with his slog to cow corner though

 

[Aami]

Can we please ask the management not to bat Shaheen any higher than 12.

He is absolutely pathetic!

Naseem
Shaheen
Haris
Abrar

But, guys, times are coming when will need someone who can bat a bit at no 8 ... it looks like a long loooong tail.

 

[sweep_shot]

Fantastic win for Pakistan.

One of the best ODIs of the year.

 

[shah9425]

Great win

Well played Saim and Salman

 

[DeadlyVenom]

Nice of Salman this.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Can we please ask the management not to bat Shaheen any higher than 12.

He is absolutely pathetic!

Naseem
Shaheen
Haris
Abrar

But, guys, times are coming when will need someone who can bat a bit at no 8 ... it looks like a long loooong tail.

Naseem has decent ability with the bat for a tailender and is a very solid No.8. No idea why they keep sending Shaheen above him. I know Shaheen has this delusion in his mind that he is an all-rounder but the team management, coach and captain should be smart enough to do what's best for the team.

 

[RidiculousMan]

I don't think anyone expected Saim to have this much impact, this quickly where he is now essentially winning almost all matches for Pakistan with his batting.

 

[SpiritOf1903]

Pakistanis speaking competent English in tandem??

 

[hassan918]

This is lovely to see.

 

[Ahmed216]

Should have lifted kaptana and throw him in rubbish bin

And that's the only memory you have of the whole match?

Kaptana was guiding him beautifully when he was bowling.

3 wins out of 4 in SA and Aus. Kaptaana will get the credit whether you like it or not

 

[Raja Ishtiaq]

Great interview performance there by our captain

 

[Ahmed216]

Naseem has decent ability with the bat for a tailender and is a very solid No.8. No idea why they keep sending Shaheen above him. I know Shaheen has this delusion in his mind that he is an all-rounder but the team management, coach and captain should be smart enough to do what's best for the team.

Aqib sent in him at 6 in one of the T20'S. Kaptaana mistake too

 

[emranabbas]

Aqib sent in him at 6 in one of the T20'S

Kaptana sent him

 

[Ahmed216]

Kaptana sent him

Yes even the best make mistakes sometimes

 

[batandballbattle]

That was similar to the Chennai game a year ago, just with the innings switched. A lot had been questioning Agha's white ball credentials but he has answered those critics now.

 

[Aami]

Naseem has decent ability with the bat for a tailender and is a very solid No.8. No idea why they keep sending Shaheen above him. I know Shaheen has this delusion in his mind that he is an all-rounder but the team management, coach and captain should be smart enough to do what's best for the team.

I absolutely agree, even when Shaheen makes runs, he makes it like a tailender. One hoick after another towards leg side, thats it, that is a number one shot of anyone who has ever held a bat in their lives. I, also dont think he has too many marbles between his ear lobes.

He is at best, a poor man's Umar Gul with a bat in hand.

Naseem, on the other hand, is what we want every Pak player to feel like.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Aqib sent in him at 6 in one of the T20'S. Kaptaana mistake too

I believe he was even batting in the top-order for LQ in the PSL at one point.

It's nice to see that he has confidence in his abilities but he should also stay in touch with reality.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

I absolutely agree, even when Shaheen makes runs, he makes it like a tailender. One hoick after another towards leg side, thats it, that is a number one shot of anyone who has ever held a bat in their lives. I, also dont think he has too many marbles between his ear lobes.

He is at best, a poor man's Umar Gul with a bat in hand.

Naseem, on the other hand, is what we want every Pak player to feel like.

With the bat, no. His batting generally ranges from brainless to erratic. I also feel like he has made no attempt to actually improve his batting eventhough in his mind he thinks he is an all-rounder.

Naseem by comparison has made a very serious attempt to improve his batting and has played some crucial knocks for us in all formats. Whether its his match-winning knock against Afghanistan in the Asia Cup, the crucial 5 off 52 in Sri Lanka (where him and Babar dragged Pakistan from 148-9 to 218), or even the match-saving knock against New Zealand in Karachi.

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Mohammad Rizwan in a post match ceremony:

"It was truly a team effort. Their openers got off to a strong start, but our spinners applied pressure and restricted them."

"Saim Ayub and Salman Agha played composed innings. It's been some time since we've seen a knock like the one Agha played. The ODI format is long, and there's always an opportunity to make a comeback. In ODIs, taking wickets after the powerplay and during the middle overs keeps you in the game. My role is to keep the team united and I’m pleased to see Salman Agha as a senior player pass the award to Saim Ayub which will undoubtedly boost the youngster’s confidence."

 

[aboveandbeyond]

Captain Marvel leading from the front

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Salman Agha and Saim Ayub in a post match ceremony while collecting man of the match award:

Salman Agha: "We were in a tough situation but we took it one over at a time and built from there. His (Saim Ayub's) innings really set up the game. He was there from the start with the new ball and was running out of partners. The way he handled the fast bowlers and scored a hundred on this pitch was incredible."

Saim Ayub: "It was definitely challenging. We were four down and on this track you have to keep believing. He (Agha) has more experience than me and was guiding me throughout."

 

[Rana]

. My role is to keep the team united

Why can’t he just make it his role to leave the team forever?

 

[Adnan_Ilyas]

Now imagine is fakhar opened with him?

Looks like pak is against fakhar opening with Sharjeel type players lol

Fakhar is so inconsistent he would perform 1 out of 10 matches

 

[boomboomcheema]

was certainly a nail biter , like the good ol Odis. The 50 Overs format still has a lot of potential to entertain.

 

[Savak]

I absolutely agree, even when Shaheen makes runs, he makes it like a tailender. One hoick after another towards leg side, thats it, that is a number one shot of anyone who has ever held a bat in their lives. I, also dont think he has too many marbles between his ear lobes.

He is at best, a poor man's Umar Gul with a bat in hand.

Naseem, on the other hand, is what we want every Pak player to feel like.

Coaches have complained that Shaheen doesn't really bother to listen to instructions or feedback. He does what he likes.

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Saim Ayub’s brilliant second ODI century and Salman Ali Agha’s career-best all-round performance powered Pakistan to a thrilling three-wicket victory over South Africa in the opening match of the three-match ODI series on Tuesday night at Boland Park, Paarl.

Pakistan successfully chased the 240-run target with three balls to spare, thanks to Salman’s outstanding 82 not out off 90 balls, which included four fours and two sixes. Salman sealed the victory with a boundary and formed a vital unbeaten 33-run partnership with Naseem Shah (9 not out off 17 balls) for the eighth wicket.

Saim, who anchored the innings for 41.2 overs before falling to Kagiso Rabada, followed up his unbeaten 98 in the second T20I with a scintillating 109 off 119 balls, featuring 10 boundaries and three sixes. His composed knock kept South Africa under pressure throughout.

Earlier in the match, Salman had triggered a South African collapse with a sensational spell, taking four wickets in the space of just 23 balls for 18 runs. He later joined Saim in the 20th over when Pakistan were struggling at 60-4. Together, they stitched a crucial 141-run partnership off 133 balls for the fifth wicket, bringing Pakistan back into contention.

Pakistan required 107 runs off the final 96 balls when Saim launched an assault on Ottniel Baartman, smashing two sixes and a four to amass 22 runs in the 35th over. He later brought up his century off 112 balls in the 40th over with a four and a six off Rabada, reducing the target to 45 runs from the last 10 overs. Despite losing three more wickets, Pakistan achieved the target in 49.3 overs.

For South Africa, Baartman and Rabada picked up two wickets each.

Earlier in the day, South Africa’s stand-in captain Aiden Markram opted to bat first. Openers Ryan Rickelton (36 off 38 balls, 7 fours) and Tony de Zorzi (33 off 25 balls, 6 fours) laid a solid foundation with a 70-run partnership.

Salman’s introduction in the eighth over turned the game in Pakistan’s favor. He trapped de Zorzi leg-before in the 10th over and returned to dismiss Rickelton in the 12th over. Salman then bowled Rassie van der Dussen and Tristan Stubbs in quick succession during the 14th over, leaving South Africa reeling at 88-4.

Heinrich Klaasen, who top-scored with a brilliant 86 off 97 balls (7 fours, 2 sixes), partnered with Markram (35 off 54 balls, 1 four) for a 73-run fifth-wicket stand. After Markram’s dismissal by Saim in the 32nd over with the score at 161-5, Klaasen and Marco Jansen added 50 runs for the sixth wicket. Abrar Ahmed broke the stand in the 42nd over, dismissing Jansen, and followed it up by removing Andile Phehlukwayo an over later, reducing South Africa to 214-7.

Shaheen Shah Afridi claimed the key wicket of Klaasen in the 45th over, halting South Africa’s progress. They eventually finished at 239-9 in their allotted 50 overs.

 

[Aami]

Coaches have complained that Shaheen doesn't really bother to listen to instructions or feedback. He does what he likes.

Thats fine. He came in at no 10 next time

 

[pakrock]

Needs more batsmen in team. Too many bowlers and all-rounders. Fakher can easily walk in the team for odis

 

[usman.sandhu]

Our fast bowling was pathetic today

I understand our resources are thin but we really need to move on from SSA and Haris Rauf...

 

[usman.sandhu]

And we really need to get rid of Babar Azam, no performances for the past 2 years to merit his place in the team...

And by the looks of it, he is not willing and ready to work on his fitness...

We can bring back Fakhar Zaman to replace Babar...

 

[Nasty Naz]

Needs more batsmen in team. Too many bowlers and all-rounders. Fakher can easily walk in the team for odis

Huh? They were playing 7 specialist batsmen and 4 bowlers with no allrounders. Salman/Saim are part-time spinners and Kamran is barely even a part timer.

If anything, they need a proper allrounder so there's 5 legitimate bowling options and maintain batting depth. Kamran at 5 doesn't make a whole lot of sense anyways.

 

[BouncerGuy]

Great win. Fantastic from Saim and what a finish from Salman. Cool and Calm.

It was a heart-attack game yes, but all is well that ends well.

 

[asifkhan]

Riz Captaincy, Saim's and Aga's batting were brilliant; they deserve all the praise they are getting. However, Naseem is a unsung hero, he has so much match/situation awareness and played his part in batting. His batting is much better than Shaheen Afridi (even I rate Rauf's batting more than Afridi's).

 

[sweep_shot]

Saim and Agha have been great finds for Pakistan.

Not only are they good batters but they are also handy part-time bowlers.

 

[RizwanT20Champ]

Great performance from Pakistan, I predicted a win and they did. Very happy for Ayub, he will only grow under the leadership of the captain. Excellent win and Pakistan's CT combination looks better and better. Hope posters now realise that hacks slogging for 400 is not the answer on most pitches. All those predicting a whitewash for SA have been humbled. Well done Shaheens!

 

[MMHS]

Huh? They were playing 7 specialist batsmen and 4 bowlers with no allrounders. Salman/Saim are part-time spinners and Kamran is barely even a part timer.

If anything, they need a proper allrounder so there's 5 legitimate bowling options and maintain batting depth. Kamran at 5 doesn't make a whole lot of sense anyways.

That's a fallacy - all-rounder for the sake of it. Cricket is still a simple specialist game where individual skills dominate. Instead of 2-3 such fake all-rounders, who won't deliver 7 to 9 times out of 10 under pressure, it's always better to have specialists.

PAK got an early X-mas bonus yesterday - Aga's bowling, but even without that, four specialist bowlers bowled well enough to put pressure on SAF. This game was too close, not because lack of all-rounders, rather because PAK specialists didn't do their job - Abdullah, don't know why he is in ODI team, Babar dragged the team back, Rizwan didn't know what was his role just after losing his most experienced batsman and Ghulam needs basic education on calling for singles.

Without Aga taking wickets, still other four bowled well enough to restrict SAF under 270 and had top order played reasonably, 239 was a 45 overs, 3 wickets job against this SAF attack.

PCT needs to get rid of this all-rounder syndrome which has given some pretty average cricketers a much longer career. I am not talking about A Razzak or Afridi here.....

 

[RizwanT20Champ]

That's a fallacy - all-rounder for the sake of it. Cricket is still a simple specialist game where individual skills dominate. Instead of 2-3 such fake all-rounders, who won't deliver 7 to 9 times out of 10 under pressure, it's always better to have specialists.

PAK got an early X-mas bonus yesterday - Aga's bowling, but even without that, four specialist bowlers bowled well enough to put pressure on SAF. This game was too close, not because lack of all-rounders, rather because PAK specialists didn't do their job - Abdullah, don't know why he is in ODI team, Babar dragged the team back, Rizwan didn't know what was his role just after losing his most experienced batsman and Ghulam needs basic education on calling for singles.

Without Aga taking wickets, still other four bowled well enough to restrict SAF under 270 and had top order played reasonably, 239 was a 45 overs, 3 wickets job against this SAF attack.

PCT needs to get rid of this all-rounder syndrome which has given some pretty average cricketers a much longer career. I am not talking about A Razzak or Afridi here.....

Btw MMHS, I respect your posts and you have great insights but I told you that Pak would beat SA in SA. They did it without even their big 2 contributing.