Shaheen Shah Afridi delivered an outstanding bowling performance, leading Pakistan to an 81-run victory over South Africa in the second ODI at Newlands on Thursday. This win secured Pakistan an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series, ensuring the series is already won with one match remaining in Johannesburg on Sunday.
South Africa made the unexpected choice to bowl first on a pitch known for being challenging to chase under lights. Pakistan took full advantage, posting a total of 329 before being all out. Captain Mohammad Rizwan anchored the innings with a composed 80 from 82 balls, while Kamran Ghulam’s explosive 63 off 32 balls provided the necessary momentum.
Babar Azam contributed 73 from 95 balls, and Pakistan benefited from South Africa’s poor fielding, with several dropped catches and inaccurate bowling.
In response, South Africa’s Heinrich Klaasen put up a strong fight, scoring 97 from 74 balls, but his efforts were not enough. Pakistan’s bowlers successfully restricted South Africa to 248 all out in 43.1 overs.
With this win, Babar Azam set a new record, surpassing MS Dhoni for the most fifty-plus scores against SENA countries. Babar’s fifty in this match was his 39th, surpassing Dhoni’s 38 across all formats against South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia.
Babar Azam, who recently stepped down as Pakistan’s captain following their ODI World Cup exit, has played over 300 matches for the national team across all formats. He has scored more than 14,000 runs, including 31 centuries and 95 half-centuries.
