FAISALABAD: The glittering trophy for the much-anticipated three-match One-Day International (ODI) series between Pakistan and South Africa was unveiled on Monday at the Iqbal Cricket Stadium in Faisalabad.
Pakistan’s newly appointed ODI captain Shaheen Shah Afridi and his South African counterpart Matthew Breetzke jointly unveiled the silverware in a ceremony that drew considerable media attention and local cricket fans.
The upcoming series holds special significance as it marks the historic return of international cricket to Faisalabad after more than 17 years. The city last hosted an ODI on April 11, 2008, when Pakistan defeated Bangladesh by seven wickets at the same venue.
All three ODIs will be played at the Iqbal Stadium, with the second and third matches scheduled for November 6 and 8, respectively.
The series follows the completion of the Test and T20I legs of South Africa’s ongoing tour. The two-match Test series ended in a 1-1 draw, while Pakistan clinched the T20I series 2-1, courtesy of a stellar match-winning performance from Babar Azam in the decider at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium on Saturday.
Chasing a modest target of 140 in the T20I finale, Pakistan reached the mark with six balls to spare, powered by Babar’s fluent 68 off 47 balls, featuring nine boundaries. Agha Salman added a crucial 33 off 26 deliveries, while Faheem Ashraf and Usman Khan held their nerve to guide the hosts to victory after a brief middle-order wobble.
Earlier, Pakistan’s decision to bowl first paid off handsomely as Shaheen Afridi and Salman Mirza struck early blows, restricting South Africa to 139 for nine in their allotted 20 overs.
Historically, Pakistan and South Africa have faced each other 87 times in ODIs, with Pakistan winning 34, South Africa 52, and one match ending without a result.
Squads:
Pakistan: Shaheen Shah Afridi (c), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Faisal Akram, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mohammad Wasim Jr, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha.
South Africa: Matthew Breetzke (c), Corbin Bosch, Dewald Brevis, Nandre Burger, Gerald Coetzee, Quinton de Kock, Tony de Zorzi, Donovan Ferreira, Bjorn Fortuin, George Linde, Kwena Maphaka, Lungi Ngidi, Nqaba Peter, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Sinethemba Qeshile.
