Three South Africans Make ODI Debut as Pakistan Bowl First

News Desk 

Faisalabad: South Africa handed One-Day International (ODI) debuts to three young players — Sthemba Kheshile, Lehandre Pretorius, and Donovan Ferreira — in the opening match of the three-match series against Pakistan at Faisalabad’s historic Iqbal Stadium on Monday.

According to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), South Africa opted to test its bench strength in the first ODI by including the trio of debutants. Kheshile replaced Dewald Brevis, who was ruled out of the fixture due to injury. The inclusion of new faces underscores South Africa’s strategy to build squad depth and groom emerging talent for the future.

Pakistan captain Shaheen Shah Afridi won the toss and chose to field first on a dry, slow surface that promised some assistance for spin later in the innings. South African openers Pretorius and Quinton de Kock provided their team with a solid start, both scoring half-centuries. Pretorius, on debut, looked fluent from the outset, consistently finding boundaries and showing confidence against Pakistan’s pace attack.

However, Pakistan staged a strong comeback in the latter half of the innings. After South Africa reached 191 for 3, the hosts managed to trigger a collapse, reducing the visitors to 228 for 8. A late cameo from Bosch under pressure guided South Africa to a competitive total of 260-plus.

Pakistan’s young all-rounder Saim Ayub credited the team’s disciplined bowling with the older ball for restricting South Africa below 270. “The pitch was slow; the new ball was easier for the batters, but as it got older, it began to turn and grip. We executed our plans well,” he said after the innings.

With the surface expected to aid spin in the second half, Pakistan’s chase promises to be challenging yet competitive. The remaining two ODIs of the Pakistan–South Africa series will be played on November 6 and 8, respectively.