Pakistan Win Toss, Opt to Bat First Against South Africa

News Desk 

Faisalabad: Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat first against South Africa in the second One-Day International (ODI) being played at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad, on Wednesday.

Pakistan lead the three-match series 1-0 after clinching a thrilling two-wicket victory in the opening match on Tuesday.

For the hosts, Faheem Ashraf and Mohammad Wasim have been included in the playing XI, replacing Hasan Nawaz and Abrar Ahmed. South Africa have made two changes as well, with Nandre Burger and Nqabayomzi Peter coming in for Lungi Ngidi and Lizaad Williams.

In the first ODI, South Africa were bowled out for 263 in 49.1 overs, with Quinton de Kock scoring 63 and Lhuan-dre Pretorius adding 57. Pakistan successfully chased down the target, reaching 264 for eight in 49.4 overs to seal the match with two balls to spare.

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Salman Ali Agha top-scored with a composed 62 off 71 balls, while Mohammad Rizwan contributed 55 off 74. Openers Saim Ayub (39) and Fakhar Zaman (45) laid a solid foundation with an 87-run stand. Abrar Ahmed and Naseem Shah starred with the ball, claiming three wickets each.

Playing XIs:

Pakistan: Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub, Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Salman Agha, Hussain Talat, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Shah Afridi (c), Mohammad Wasim, Naseem Shah.

South Africa: Quinton de Kock (wk), Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Tony de Zorzi, Matthew Breetzke (c), Sinethemba Qeshile, Donovan Ferreira, George Linde, Corbin Bosch, Bjorn Fortuin, Nandre Burger, Nqabayomzi Peter.

Despite some late drama, Shaheen Shah Afridi’s men chased down the target in the final over to give their captain a winning start to his ODI leadership.

Earlier, South Africa’s innings faltered after a steady start as they lost wickets in clusters, managing a total that captain Matthew Breetzke later admitted was “20–30 runs short.”

Lhuan-dre Pretorius’ promising knock and Quinton de Kock’s return were among the few bright spots for the visitors, while Pakistan’s bowlers kept them in check with disciplined spells.