Pakistan tour of South Africa 2021 News

Pakistan skipper Babar Azam scored the fastest century in T20I format from a Pakistani batsman in the third T20i of the series against South Africa in Centurion. Opening the batting with Mohammad Rizwan chasing a mammoth target of 204, Babar put Proteas bowling attack to the sword and brought his hundred from just 50 balls. Babar was dismissed after a 59-ball-122 that led Pakistan’s chase. He broke the previous record held by Ahmad Shehzad who had notched up a 58-ball century against Bangladesh. On his way to the match-winning innings, Azam also registered two more records against his name. His 122 against South Africa is the highest score by a Pakistan batsman in the international T20 games. Also, it is the second-highest score by any batsman while chasing in the history of T20I cricket. Azam’s century and splendid innings from Rizwan from the other end helped Pakistan in chasing a big score with 12 balls to spare. Interestingly, Azam had scored the slowest fifty by a Pakistan batsman in only the last game off 50 balls. The day has been full of wonderful developments for Azam, who dethroned Indian captain Virat Kohli as the number one batsman in the ODIs.

South Africa have been fined for maintaining a slow over-rate during the first T20i against Pakistan in Johannesburg. Andy Pycroft of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees had imposed the sanction on the team after the Proteas were found to be one over short of the target. According to the Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to minimum over-rate offences, the players are fined 20 per cent of their match fees for every over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time. An ICC statement said that the South African skipper Henrich Klassen pleaded guilty to the offence and accepted the proposed sanction. “Klaasen pleaded guilty to the offence and accepted the proposed sanction, so there was no need for a formal hearing,” the release said. “On-field umpires Adrian Holdstock and Allahudien Palekar, third umpire Bangani Jele and fourth umpire Shaun George leveled the charge,” it further added. The visitors lead the four-match series 1-0 after beating South Africa in the first match by 4 wickets. Chasing 189, Pakistan rode on some fine piece of batting from wicket-keeper batsman Mohammad Rizwan who scored 74 runs off 50 deliveries and a late surge from Faheem Ashraf to chase down the target with one ball left. Ashraf chipped in with a 14-ball 30 during the course. The two sides will face each other in the second T20I at the same venue on Monday. Pakistan had earlier defeated South Africa in the three-match ODI series as well.

Mohammad Hafeez is set to be only the second cricketer from Pakistan to play 100 T20I matches when South Africa will go head-on against the visitors in a four-match series starting April 10. However, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has stated that Hafeez will be the first Pakistani player to be playing his 100th T20Is (the tweet has been removed). Instead, he will join his countryman Shoaib Malik, on the list that also has Rohit Sharma, Martin Guptill, Eoin Morgan and Ross Taylor as players who have featured in 100 or more T20 international matches. Hafeez has been around for quite some time, and although his success in the longer format of the game dwindled leading to him hanging up his boots, his bat has silenced his critics every now and then in the shortest format. He has been in imperious touch with the bat in T20s on the tour of England last year and followed it up with another brilliant overseas tour of New Zealand. He played a splendid knock of 99 not out against the Kiwis in the second T20I of the series albeit Pakistan could not defend the score. Earlier in 2020, he had plundered English bowlers to all parts of the grounds to hit 36-ball-69 and 52-ball-86 in the two matches of the three-match series. Ahead of his 100th T20I against South Africa, Hafeez is aiming for a match-winning innings while if it turns out to be a century, it will be a ‘cherry on top.’ “A knock to help my side win the match would be amazing, there can’t be any better feeling than guiding your country to win and that too in an away game. A century on that occasion will be a cherry on top,” said Hafeez said in a virtual interaction with reporters from South Africa. Hafeez will be eager to maintain his top-notch form with the bat in the series against South Africa as there are two T20 World Cups lined up to be played in the next two years.

South Africa’s new limited-overs captain Temba Bavuma has been ruled out of the T20I series against Pakistan scheduled to begin on Saturday in Johannesburg. Bavuma picked up a grade one hamstring strain while batting in the third ODI against Pakistan in Centurion. Heinrich Klaasen will lead the home side in place of Bavuma. "I'd be stupid to push him to try and play in these T20s. He is still staying in the squad and hope he can have a quick turnaround but it doesn't look likely that he is going to get on the park," Mark Boucher had said post the ODI series. The South African team is missing out on some prominent players in the line up with some of them travelling to India for the IPL while there have been some injury concerns as well. Rassie van der Dussen is struggling with grade one left quadriceps muscle strain while Dwaine Pretorius is recovering from his rib fracture. Dussen though has been named in the squad for the T20I series. South Africa have also named four uncapped players for the four-match T20I series. Sisanda Magala, Migael Pretorius, Lizaad Williams are the three pacers while Wihan Lubbe is an off-spinner. The first two encounters between the two sides will take place in Johannesburg before travelling to Centurion for the final two matches. Squad: Heinrich Klaasen (c), Bjorn Fortuin, Aiden Markram, Andile Phehlukwayo, Beuran Hendricks, George Linde, Rassie van der Dussen, Janneman Malan, Sisanda Magala, Wiaan Mulder, Tabraiz Shamsi, Lutho Sipamla, Kyle Verreynne, Pite van Biljon, Daryn Dupavillon, Migael Pretorius, Lizaad Williams, Wihan Lubbe.

Pakistan defended the target of 321 runs in the third and final ODI of the series against South Africa to clinch the series 2-1. The men in green became only the second side after Australia to have won an ODI series twice in the rainbow nation. Chasing a steep target, South Africa were off to an impressive start as the pair of Janneman Malan and Aiden Markram looked in fluent touch. The former looked at absolute ease against the pace of Shaheen Shah Afridi and Hasan Ali with the new balls. The tourists failed to strike big early but had enough depth in the bowling attack to keep control over the depleted South African side that made as many as seven changes in the side from the last game. The hosts were marred with the absence of players who have gone for the IPL and the injury-enforced absence of Russie van der Dussen. From 72 for no loss, South Africa suffered a collapse in the middle phase at the hands of debutant leg spinner Usman Qadir and left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz. Qadir finished with one wicket while Nawaz was more successful with the ball and scalped three big wickets of Malan, skipper Temba Bavuma and Heinrich Klassen in the middle overs. South Africa’s future appeared doomed when Klasse walked back to the pavilion just after the halfway stage. However, the pair of Andile Phehlukwayo and Kyle Verreynne had other ideas. The duo started punishing Pakistani bowlers for their rare inaccuracies and hosts breathed a sigh of relief. They added 108 run partnership to put Proteas on the track to chase down, but having all specialist batsmen already back in the pavilion made their case shaky. In the end, all of the firepower the duo showed and crips innings by Malan failed to match up to the batting might of Pakistan in the all-important series decider.

After a heroic century in the second ODI of the series against South Africa, Fakhar Zaman did not waste his good form one bit and brought another century in the series decider. He batted with supreme control and hit three sixes and nine fours on his way to 101 from 104 balls. He first stitched a 112-run partnership with his opening partner Imam-ul-Haq and then followed it up with another 94-run of batting together with his skipper Babar Azam. His century and able support from Azam and Imam along with a batting blitz from Hassan Ali propelled Pakistan to a huge total of 320 runs in an all-important series finale. Also, his innings of 193 runs in the last game against the same opponent helped him jump seven places on the ICC Rankings for Batsmen in ODIs. He now has secured his place at 12th spot on the list that has many champion batsmen of the format such as his skipper Babar Azam and Virat Kohli. His form has been recognised by the team management and upon their request, the national selection committee of Pakistan have added him to the T20I squads for the series against South Africa and Zimbabwe that will follow the ongoing ODI series.