Pakistan (264/7) secure a two-wicket victory in a nail-biting encounter in the series opener against South Africa (263)

[saabir]

Because he reminds them to follow their religion, no other explanation for someone who has performed better in all 3 formats than any other Pakistan wicketkeeper batsman.

What's wrong in reminding them their religion. I live in a country where our PM and CM of the biggest state keep on reminding our religion.. Rizwan may not be the world beater but he is by far the best WC batsman in pakistan I have seen..very solid behind the stumps and played very crucial knocks under pressure.. he may not be suitable for T20 but for ODIs and tests Rizwan, Salman and Babar make very solid middle order. Before Rizwan pakistan had Sarfraz, U Akmal, Adnan Akmal, Moin , Rashid etc all were inferior to Rizwan

 

[Snowflake]

And Agha dominated?

He had better strike, so relatively yeah… he did compared to Rizwan.

But it wasn’t a great innings from any stretch of imagination. Any other decent batsman from another team would’ve finished this game way earlier

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Our full strength side will get beat by B and C sides of SENA countries. Our cricket has completely disintegrated to this point.

We would look even more stupid playing newbies who will get smashed, when our main team isn’t even good enough to compete here.

These boys are so mentally weak that they just collapse at the first signs of pressure.

The way I see it you have nothing to lose by playing a team of new players, on the off-chance that you find someone useful. Barely beating or even comprehensively beating B/C teams serves no real purpose.

 

[Rana]

Imagine scoring 50 in a team that won but still looking worse than 3-4 of the batters from the opposition who lost

 

[Josh]

What their main bowlers did when Pakistan whitewashed them in south africa nothing and this is south africa 5th straight loss vs pakistan

You are a dominant champion team bro. With Riz, Bar and Sal ..it's difficult to beat this team even for Australia. With this 50, Riz should also make it to the team for T20 world cup and the cup will be yours.

 

[rpant_gabba]

Glorious victory led by RizBar Raj!

 

[jnaveen1980]

You are a dominant champion team bro. With Riz, Bar and Sal ..it's difficult to beat this team even for Australia. With this 50, Riz should make to the team for T20 world cup and the cup will be yours.

Usman was set up to fail lol Rizwan will come back safely. Dream jodi will play together

 

[Nasty Naz]

It's a win but that was a very mediocre performance. SA collapsed in the 2nd half of the innings but they were smashing our bowlers in the first half. If it wasn't for a bunch of inexperienced players on the SA side, the target likely would have been much higher.

As for the batting, it remains woeful. I suppose it's nice for players like Saim/Fakhar/Salman/Rizwan to get some runs under their belt when they have been struggling but I don't know. It seems like the entire team is out of form and low on confidence. There were instances where Pakistan could have put their foot down, accelerated and ended the match earlier but simply just kept ticking around 5-6 runs an over for no reason and nearly gave the match away due to it.

Talat continues to look like a very useless player who doesn't deserve a spot on the squad.
Hasan Nawaz simply needs to play more domestic matches as he is very raw still. It's insane a player with career 5 List A matches is playing ODI but here are we.

Still, a win is a win. Considering how few Pakistan have had in the last few years, hopefully they can start stringing some wins together and gain some confidence back. The look and feel of this team is still very shaky.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Shaheen ki first win ki cake cutting kab horahi hai phir?

 

[Aqib_mustafa]

You are a dominant champion team bro. With Riz, Bar and Sal ..it's difficult to beat this team even for Australia. With this 50, Riz should also make it to the team for T20 world cup and the cup will be yours.

Look i don't get the hate for riz i understand babar has been huge let off rizwan is comfortably pakistan best wicket keeper batsmen.

 

[TheSultan]

I’m gonna be consistent here - both Rizwan and Agha played selfish innings. When you have the opposition down then you ram them down.

These two played for their 50s.

Agha marginally better

 

[jnaveen1980]

Agha, Babar, Rizwan all belong to 1990s.

 

[rpant_gabba]

This victory deserves a tweet from Shabaz Sharif

Don't forget celebratory cake.

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Salman Ali Agha in a post match interview:

"It was on me, I could've finished the game. Was expecting dew today because that's been the case right through in the T20s we've played here. WIthout dew it was tough. It was turning and reversing. That partnership made us chase this down. We lost 2-3 quick wickets and just wanted to build a partnership. We knew we had enough time. Just wanted to play the ball on merit. Just communicated with each other on who will take charge when we needed runs."

 

[Savak]

Agha, Babar, Rizwan all belong to 1990s.

Sadly our domestic and bench batting stocks are weak. As flawed as these guys are these are our best players. As we saw in the T-20 Asia Cups, we don't have batters who can be relied upon to bat 5-8 overs aggressively without losing their wickets on spinning wickets, Babar and Rizwan can atleast bat at run a ball and not lose their wicket in the process and there were many times against India where that is what we needed with the bat

 

[Nikhil_cric]

I’m gonna be consistent here - both Rizwan and Agha played selfish innings. When you have the opposition down then you ram them down.

These two played for their 50s.

Agha marginally better

Nothing wrong with Agha's knock. He set up the win on a pretty tough pitch and was easily the best batsman from either side. Maybe should've finished it but this was fine too.

Failure of a T20 batsman though

 

[DeadlyVenom]

Agha, Babar, Rizwan all belong to 1990s.

The style belongs to 90s for sure.

Even if they score a boundary then their aim is to only score a few more. Get 7 off the over at maximum and be happy.

Whereas the sides of today are automatically thinking right how can we turn this into a 15 + run over and put the bowler on the backfoot, force captain to change his plans.

 

[Katwalindian]

My fave ?- where did that come from ?
205/5 in 38

I saw Pakistan beat full strength SA in SA in 2024.....

 

[ask_analyse_act]

Hasan Nawaz purple patch or whatever is finished ... is a much better option than this hack...

He bats with a high bat lift against spinner too, just like how they used to bat against pace... Takes lot of time to bring the bat down on time... this guy should go back to learn how to bat... Haider Ali / Irfan Khan Niazi / Tayyab Tahir / Kamran Ghulam are much better option than this hack...

 

[Aqib_mustafa]

Nothing wrong with Agha's knock. He set up the win on a pretty tough pitch and was easily the best batsman from either side. Maybe should've finished it but this was fine too.

Failure of a T20 batsman though

Wow bro potw this post which i never see from pakistan honestly bro india understand our cricket better than pakistan fans agha played an outstanding knock which you said rightly on a difficult pitch but bit disappointed with saim batting he is just too good a player to miss out?

 

[tiger_khan]

Didn't watch the game but if what Agha is saying is true that there was no dew then such pitches get more difficult to bat as the match progresses

I think fans are over reacting when they are criticizing the batters. Yes...we should have not won by only 2 wickets and one of the senior batters should have stayed right until the end

I am more concerned about the fact that we are struggling to win against SA B team. Many of their top players are missing

But this is what happens when you keep on changing the captain again and again. It will take the team sometime to gel and work as a unit.


PS: I wonder if the new rules are in effect now. That is, only one chosen ball is used after thirty odd overs from both ends. If that's the case then expect the teams all around the world to score less in the death overs on a pitch like this one. Softer balls are difficult to hit on pitches which are gripping

 

[Nikhil_cric]

Wow bro potw this post which i never see from pakistan honestly bro india understand our cricket better than pakistan fans agha played an outstanding knock which you said rightly on a difficult pitch but bit disappointed with saim batting he is just too good a player to miss out?

I honestly Babar Azam is the biggest issue.

Batting records | One-Day Internationals | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPNcricinfo.com

stats.espncricinfo.com

He has been completely missing against top sides for the last 2.5 years.

And I include the likes of BD, WI and AFG in that list as well.

You can't have a #3 who's the worst batsman in your lineup.

 

[Aqib_mustafa]

I honestly Babar Azam is the biggest issue.

Batting records | One-Day Internationals | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPNcricinfo.com

stats.espncricinfo.com

He has been completely missing against top sides for the last 2.5 years.

And I include the likes of BD, WI and AFG in that list as well.

You can't have a #3 who's the worst batsman in your lineup.

Bro pakistan have the option of kamran ghulam replacing this overrated babar azam sadly in pakistan babar pr is too strong he should be replaced by kamran.

 

[GudduBadmash]

lol I knew I would come here to find the usual complaining about Rizwan scoring a 50. You guys are so predictable

Nothing but hatred, zero logic

 

[PakPremi]

I honestly Babar Azam is the biggest issue.

Batting records | One-Day Internationals | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPNcricinfo.com

stats.espncricinfo.com

He has been completely missing against top sides for the last 2.5 years.

And I include the likes of BD, WI and AFG in that list as well.

You can't have a #3 who's the worst batsman in your lineup.

Babar is not the problem. Yes he has been out of form for very long time, but appears to be in good knick now. Problem atm is likes of Talat lack of ability, and Hasan Nawaz lack of temperament.

 

[Nabeel23]

It’s a decent win in the circumstances but with the World Cup only two years away, we have a lot of issues to fix.

That tournament will be played in South Africa on high scoring pitches and all our batsmen barring the two openers play at the same rate.

Need a couple of lefties in the middle order who can switch gears. At the moment our ceiling is about 320 on a very good day, we need to get to 370-380.

You can’t have two lefties opening, 4 right handed batsmen from 4-6 and then three lefties again, it doesn’t make sense.

 

[Suleiman]

Everyone today played exactly how they were expected to. Please don’t me tell me anyone of you is surprised.

Enjoy the win with some cake and karak chai. Not much else to say

 

[saabir]

I honestly Babar Azam is the biggest issue.

Batting records | One-Day Internationals | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPNcricinfo.com

stats.espncricinfo.com

He has been completely missing against top sides for the last 2.5 years.

And I include the likes of BD, WI and AFG in that list as well.

You can't have a #3 who's the worst batsman in your lineup.

Babar is not the issue. Even out of form Babar is good enough for this pakistan side. I don't understand why Pakistan fans are so obsessed with strike rates.. pakistan team is unable to bat full 50 overs or In T20 20 overs. They are getting all out more often. Rizwan, Babar and Agha make a very good and solid middle order ..their openers Fakhar and Saim are also good. They are the best Top 5 players available in Pakistan imo..i have seen their standard of domestic and domestic talents . They are way inferior players than these 5..look at their so called talents like Mohd Haris , Hasan Nawaz, Khushdil , Iftikar etc they don't have the process or pathway to develop their players like what we indian have. In India we have a big pool of talented players that we can make 3 parallel teams who can compete with any side in the world..

 

[Nikhil_cric]

Babar is not the issue. Even out of form Babar is good enough for this pakistan side. I don't understand why Pakistan fans are so obsessed with strike rates.. pakistan team is unable to bat full 50 overs or In T20 20 overs. They are getting all out more often. Rizwan, Babar and Agha make a very good and solid middle order ..their openers Fakhar and Saim are also good. They are the best Top 5 players available in Pakistan imo..i have seen their standard of domestic and domestic talents . They are way inferior players than these 5..look at their so called talents like Mohd Haris , Hasan Nawaz, Khushdil , Iftikar etc they don't have the process or pathway to develop their players like what we indian have. In India we can have a big pool of talented players that we can make 3 parallel teams who can compete with any side in the world..

Not just strike rate. His average has been poor as well

 

[Hawkeye]

Babar is not the issue. Even out of form Babar is good enough for this pakistan side. I don't understand why Pakistan fans are so obsessed with strike rates.. pakistan team is unable to bat full 50 overs or In T20 20 overs. They are getting all out more often. Rizwan, Babar and Agha make a very good and solid middle order ..their openers Fakhar and Saim are also good. They are the best Top 5 players available in Pakistan imo..i have seen their standard of domestic and domestic talents . They are way inferior players than these 5..look at their so called talents like Mohd Haris , Hasan Nawaz, Khushdil , Iftikar etc they don't have the process or pathway to develop their players like what we indian have. In India we have a big pool of talented players that we can make 3 parallel teams who can compete with any side in the world..

@saabir you seem to be a good addition to the forum. But I just realized that you joined 13 years ago so not a new addition at all!

Where were you all these years?

 

[saabir]

lol I knew I would come here to find the usual complaining about Rizwan scoring a 50. You guys are so predictable

Nothing but hatred, zero logic

Exactly..

@saabir you seem to be a good addition to the forum. But I just realized that you joined 13 years ago so not a new addition at all!

Where were you all these years?

I originally joined this forum in 2012, but soon after I was transferred to a new place and got caught up with a busy work schedule. Unfortunately that didn’t leave me with much time to stay active here. Recently I switched to a new job that offers a lot more peace of mind and work life balance, giving me the chance to reconnect with this forum again. It truly feels great to be back after all these years.

 

[topspin]

We don’t!

Babar and Rizwan paled in comparison to those around them today. Not exactly for the first time either.

I think you need to stop acting as if Babar and Rizwan are the next coming of Inzamam and MoYo.

Neither of them are Pakistan’s top 10 GOAT batsmen.

 

[Dr_Bassim]

Babar is not the problem. Yes he has been out of form for very long time, but appears to be in good knick now. Problem atm is likes of Talat lack of ability, and Hasan Nawaz lack of temperament.

You mean the one game he accidentally scored a 50 in T20 chasing 140.

Because today he was just as impotent as last 3 years.

 

[Cricket Warrior]

 

[Josh]

Look i don't get the hate for riz i understand babar has been huge let off rizwan is comfortably pakistan best wicket keeper batsmen.

I think that hate is only for T20 format with him occupying the opening slot along with Babar. He will be a solid prospect lower down the order in WC T20

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Pakistan celebrated the return of international cricket to Faisalabad’s Iqbal Stadium after 17 years with a thrilling two-wicket victory over South Africa in the opening ODI of the three-match series on Tuesday. The hosts chased down a target of 264 with two balls to spare to take a 1-0 lead in the series.

The second ODI will also be played at the same venue on Thursday, 6 November. The win marked a successful start to Shaheen Shah Afridi’s tenure as Pakistan’s ODI captain.

Chasing 264, Salman Ali Agha anchored the innings with a fluent 62 off 71 balls, hitting five fours and a six. He was ably supported by Mohammad Rizwan, who scored a composed 55 off 74 deliveries. The duo added 91 runs for the fourth wicket, building on a strong 87-run opening stand between Fakhar Zaman (45 off 57, 4 fours, 2 sixes) and Saim Ayub (39 off 42, 4 fours, 1 six).

Although Pakistan suffered a late stumble, slipping from 241 for five to 263 for eight, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah held their nerve to guide the side home in the final over.

For South Africa, Corbin Bosch (2/32), Lungi Ngidi (2/46), and Donovan Ferreira (2/53) shared the wickets, keeping the game alive until the end.

Earlier, after being asked to bat first, South Africa were bowled out for 263 in 49.1 overs. Quinton de Kock (63 off 71, 6 fours, 2 sixes) and Lhuan-dre Pretorius (57 off 60, 7 fours, 1 six) provided a solid platform with a 98-run opening stand. Skipper Matthew Breetzke contributed 42, while Bosch chipped in with a brisk 41 off 40 balls lower down the order.

Pakistan’s bowling attack combined effectively, with Naseem Shah (3/40), Abrar Ahmed (3/53), and Saim Ayub (2/39) doing the bulk of the damage. Shaheen Shah Afridi and Mohammad Nawaz picked up a wicket each to ensure South Africa were restricted below 300.

The victory not only gave Pakistan an early lead in the series but also thrilled the Faisalabad crowd, who witnessed international cricket return to their city for the first time since 2008.

 

[gazza619]

Neither of them are Pakistan’s top 10 GOAT batsmen.

It doesn’t matter. I dont support the kachra players you and your ring leader @Rana support.

 

[AZulfi]

262 is a decent rather than challenging total. After 30 overs, South Africa were well on course to getting 325+/-

Pak batters will certainly make the target seem more challenging than it is. That’s our history.

As expected Pak batsmen made it look tougher than it was

 

[topspin]

It doesn’t matter. I dont support the kachra players you and your ring leader @Rana support.

My favourite all-time Pakistan player is Younis Khan. Unlike you I have standards and I will never be a shill for mediocre players.

 

[AZulfi]

Without those two partnerships, Saim-Fakhar and then more importantly between Rizwan and Agha, Pak would have lost this game.

Another brain fade by Hasan Nawaz.

 

[gazza619]

My favourite all-time Pakistan player is Younis Khan. Unlike you I have standards and I will never be a shill for mediocre players.

Younis Khan doesn’t matter buddy. We are talking about current crop of players available for Pakistan.

 

[Aami]

Exactly..
I originally joined this forum in 2012, but soon after I was transferred to a new place and got caught up with a busy work schedule. Unfortunately that didn’t leave me with much time to stay active here. Recently I switched to a new job that offers a lot more peace of mind and work life balance, giving me the chance to reconnect with this forum again. It truly feels great to be back after all these years.

Saabir bhai, welcome back, nothing has changed with regards to Pak cricket ..
..."wohi raftaar bedangi si, jo pehle thi, so aaj hai"

 

[guard]

Exactly..
I originally joined this forum in 2012, but soon after I was transferred to a new place and got caught up with a busy work schedule. Unfortunately that didn’t leave me with much time to stay active here. Recently I switched to a new job that offers a lot more peace of mind and work life balance, giving me the chance to reconnect with this forum again. It truly feels great to be back after all these years.

What changes have you noticed since returning..

Any positive or more of the same just dressed differently..?

 

[indianpanacea]

Well to be true I m neither satisfied by playing 11 nor with the win against SA.Remember SA is not in full strength, what is the point of playing 7 batters with Hassan Nawaz at 7. Doesn't really make sense.They could have played a batting allrounder like Qasim Akram instead.It is in these bilateral series that you try players and established players are given rest.For me Fakhar, Rizwan and salman aga could have been rested and few fresh legs could have been tried considering the fact that world cup is just 2 years away.Fringe players like kamran Ghulam, Tayyab Tahir, Qasim Akram, Rohail Nazir should have been tested.

 

[sweep_shot]

Great comeback from Pakistan. South Africa were like 90/0. From there, they collapsed to 260s.

Pakistan are looking good to win the series now.

 

[AZulfi]

Babar and Rizwan paled in comparison to those around them today. Not exactly for the first time either.

I think you need to stop acting as if Babar and Rizwan are the next coming of Inzamam and MoYo.

Neither of them are Pakistan’s top 10 GOAT batsmen.

I think some of u are a bit harsh on Rizwan.
I am not a fan of public display of religiosity either but Rizwan presently remains Pakistan’s best wicket-keeper batsman (unless Usman Khan does something special in T20Is and later gets picked for other formats as well. We have all seen that Haris the hack is simply not up to it).

Rizwan came into bat with Pak 2-down for 102. Soon Pak lost another wicket 105/3 (Babar). What was Rizwan supposed to do? swing wildly across the line and get out!

Pak fans must try and understand that we are not Australia or India when it comes to batting. Batting has always been our Achilles heel heavily relying on 1 or 2 individuals in every era. A SR of around 75 is not bad in the middle overs of an ODI esp. when you are trying to rebuild the innings having just lost wickets in a heap. Infact both Rizwan and Agha matched each other for SR. Agha’s SR only went up during his last 15 runs or so when Pak were even closer to the target.

Both Rizwan and Agha should have taken Pakistan over the finishing line. However, both holed out while trying to play needless expansive shots when the requirement was almost a run a ball.