Babar Azam was dismissed for a duck in his return to T20 cricket as a weakened South Africa secured a 55-run victory over Pakistan in the opening match of a three-game series. The defeat came as a disappointment to the 16,000 fans present at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
Pakistan struggled to recover from Corbin Bosch’s early success, which included the dismissal of Babar Azam. South Africa bowled out the home team for 139, with the loss marking a difficult start for the Pakistani side.
South Africa posted a total of 194-9 after captain Donovan Ferreira opted to bat first following the toss. Reeza Hendricks led the charge with a 60 off 40 balls, while George Linde contributed 36 off 22 deliveries.
Azam, who last played T20 cricket in December 2024 against South Africa, was out on the second ball of the innings, offering a simple catch to Hendricks in the covers during the powerplay. His return to the format had been highly anticipated, as he needed nine runs to surpass Rohit Sharma’s all-time T20 international run record of 4,231.
Despite the enthusiastic reception from the crowd, Azam’s dismissal left the stadium in stunned silence. Pakistan made the decision to recall Azam at number three for the series, resting Fakhar Zaman ahead of the upcoming one-day international series against South Africa.
The Pakistan batting lineup failed to gain momentum after losing two wickets within the first six overs. Saim Ayub was fortunate to remain not out after being dropped by Matthew Breetzke in Nandre Burger’s first over, and he ended up as the highest scorer with 37 off 28 balls. Although the innings lacked consistency, Mohammad Nawaz’s 36 off 20 balls helped stabilize the chase.
Corbin Bosch took four wickets for 14 runs, while George Linde claimed three wickets for 31. Both bowlers played key roles in restricting Pakistan’s scoring rate.
South Africa’s captain, Ferreira, praised the team’s collective performance. “It was a good powerplay batting effort, and Linde finished it well,” he said. “We kept it simple with the ball and wanted to keep it nice and simple.”
Quinton de Kock also made a strong return to T20 cricket, showing aggression in his innings. Alongside Hendricks, he set a brisk pace with a 44-run partnership off 23 balls. De Kock scored five boundaries before being caught at backward point in Ayub’s first over.
Debutant Tony de Zorzi continued the momentum with a 33 off 16 balls, helping South Africa reach 74-1 in the first six overs. Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah struggled with their lengths, with Afridi taking 1-45 and Naseem 1-34.
South Africa maintained a high scoring rate, reaching 111-3 by the halfway mark. However, Pakistan’s spinners, including Mohammad Nawaz (3-26) and Saim Ayub (2-31), managed to slow the run rate. Hendricks remained at the crease until he was dismissed by Abrar Ahmed in the 18th over.
George Linde showed late intent, hitting 18 runs off Afridi in the 17th over. A dropped catch by Babar Azam at mid-on allowed Linde to score an extra run.
Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha acknowledged the team’s shortcomings. “We need to bat properly,” he said. “We are missing partnerships, and if we have them, we can chase such totals. We also didn’t bowl well in the powerplay.”
The remaining two matches of the T20 series will be held in Lahore on Friday and Saturday. Following this, the teams will compete in a three-match ODI series in Faisalabad from November 4 to 8.
English 
Arabic 