Pakistan Survive Late Drama to Seal Victory Over South Africa in Series Opener

The three-match Pakistan vs South Africa ODI series started with a victory for the hosts. The first match of the series was held at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad. South Africa, batting first after losing the toss, could only manage 263 runs in 49.1 overs. In response, Fakhar Zaman and Sam Ayub provided a strong start for Pakistan. Pakistan was once on track to win the match easily, but a series of wickets in the final few overs created unnecessary problems. However, they managed to win with two balls to spare. Captain Shaheen Afridi apologized for this after the match.

In the match, Pakistan cricket team captain Shaheen Afridi won the toss and invited South Africa to bat, a decision that proved costly for them. The Proteas lost their first wicket at 98 and their second at 141. From there, South Africa looked set to score 300+.

However, Pakistan's bowlers then brought the Proteas back into the game, bundling them out for 263. Quinton de Kock scored 63, Luan Drapetorius 57, Matthew Breetzke 42, and Corbin Bos 41. Naseem Shah and Abrar Ahmed took three wickets each for Pakistan.