After the players did their job, the batsmen performed well for Pakistan, albeit with an all-too-familiar late collapse, at Faisalabad’s Iqbal Stadium on Tuesday.
In the first international match at that venue in 17 years, Pakistan ushered in Shaheen Shah Afridi’s era as One-day International captain with a two-wicket victory over South Africa to strike the first blow in the three-match series.
Shaheen had won the toss and elected to play his team on the inspired bowling spells of pacer Naseem Shah and spinners Saim Ayub and Abrar Ahmed to bowl South Africa for 263.
South Africa had got off to an ideal start with half-centuries for debutant Lhuan-dre Pretorius (57) and comeback Quinton de Kock (63), the duo sharing a 98-run opening stand.
But with the exception of captain Matthew Breetzke (42) and Corbin Bosch (41) at the end, none of their batsmen could get going as Naseem (3-40), Saim (2-39) and Abrar (3-53) ran through their lineup.
Half-centuries from Salman Ali Agha (62) and Mohammad Rizwan (57) then stabilized Pakistan midway through their chase after Fakhar Zaman and Saim had laid the platform with a strong opening partnership of 87 runs.
Salman and Rizwan combined for another 91 after Pakistan lost three quick wickets. Rizwan fell and Pakistan needed 68 more points to win, but Salman formed a joyous partnership with Hussain Talat and after the hosts suffered a familiar late collapse, Mohammad Nawaz and Shaheen helped them to a confidence-boosting victory.
Meanwhile, South Africa will regret not being able to capitalize on Pretorius and De Kock’s good start.
Pretorius and De Kock, playing his first ODI since returning from retirement after the ODI World Cup, attacked Pakistan’s attack from the start as South Africa reached 94-0 at the end of the 15th over.
Pakistan needed a breakthrough and Saim provided it when Pretorius’ cut-back found a diving Nawaz; The left-hander leaves having hit seven fours and a six in his 60-ball stay.
De Kock, however, was proving a thorn in the side of the hosts, sending anything loose to the fence and brought up his half-century with his fifth four, a sweep off Saim, in exactly 50 balls.
Shaheen, however, brought Naseem back into the attack and after just three runs in the 23rd and 24th overs, the pacer struck when De Kock clipped him into his stumps, having hit six fours and two sixes in his 72-ball knock.
Pakistan got the foothold they wanted and Tony De Zorzi (18), from a fall, departed in the next over, offering Saim a tame return.
Breetzke and debutant Sinethemba Qeshile began the rebuilding job but just when the Proteas seemed to be gaining momentum, Nawaz struck to remove Qeshile (22) and Donovan Ferreira soon became Abrar’s first victim.
Naseem cleared Breetzke of a no-ball, but recovered from that disappointment by catching George Linde behind two balls later. South Africa reached the 40-over mark at 211-6.
The visitors were hoping for a finish with Breetzke and Bosch, but Pakistan counterattacked when Abrar ended the former’s stay and then sent Bjorn Fortuin lbw off the next ball.
Bosch, however, got stuck in and took South Africa past 250, removing Shaheen for consecutive boundaries in the 45th over and repeating the trick in the next over by Abrar, before seeing his stumps dismantled by a scorching Shaheen yorker in the penultimate over.
Naseem got his third wicket in the last over when he cleaned up off-spinner Lizaad Williams.
The measured approach of Saim and fellow opener Fakhar saw the team reach 53-0 in the first 10 overs. The duo stayed compact, avoiding any rash shots, but when opportunities came, they took advantage.
After the pair added 34 more to the partnership, Saim (39 off 42, four fours and a six) was caught front leg by South African spinner Linde, who surprised the left-hander with a quicker one.
Fakhar (45 off 57, four fours and two sixes) then holed Ferreira to Fortuin in the deep before Fortuin struck gold with the ball, hitting one to remove Babar lbw as Pakistan felt the heat at 106-3 at the end of the 20th over.
The hosts reached 129-3 midway through the innings before Salman, and Rizwan at the other end amplified the run rate, the latter flourishing with high cover and a sweep for four as Pakistan crossed the 150-run mark in the 29th over.
Boundaries were scarce after that, however: only three came from the 30th to 36th overs; all of them from Rizwan’s bat. He raised his half-century off 66 balls in the 37th over, but fell soon after, having hit six fours in his 74-ball knock, finding Pretorius deep off Bosch.
Hussain, however, started with excellent cover for four, leaving Pakistan needing 58 off the last 10 overs.
South Africa had restricted boundaries in the next three overs but there was no stopping the singles as Hussain and Salman continued to rotate the strike, reducing the total until the latter lifted Ferreira to the ground for a sumptuous six to add to his half-century off 56 balls.
Hussain made 22 off 25 with two fours before falling in the 46th over and was soon followed by Hasan Nawaz, stumped by Linde, before Salman departed on the last ball of the 48th over when he skied Lungi Ngidi towards Ferreira, having only managed the fifth four of his 71-ball innings in the previous delivery.
Nawaz, however, calmed any nerves or doubts when he bowled Ferreira down for six and despite going down with the score level, Pakistan managed to get through with two balls to spare.
