Pakistan spinners Mohammad Nawaz and Saim Ayub were impressive on a batting-friendly surface at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium to restrict South Africa to 194-9 in the first Twenty20 International on Tuesday.
Nawaz (3-26) and Saim (2-31) prevented the hosts from scoring more than 200 despite Reeza Hendricks’ half-century.
South Africa, who were put in to bat first after Pakistan won the toss, took advantage of Hendricks’ anchor 60 and a late flourish from George Linde in front of a sell-out crowd.
The Proteas got off to a spectacular start, with Quinton de Kock and Hendricks plundering 44 on the powerplay.
De Kock, who returns to T20 international cricket after a long break, looked in sinister touch, hitting five boundaries in his 23 off 13 balls.
However, Saim, the part-time spinner, struck in the fourth over, leading to a thick edge from De Kock which was caught at point by Faheem Ashraf.
Tony de Zorzi, on his T20I debut, announced himself with a flurry of hitting, smashing five fours and a six in his 33 off 16. The left-hander’s audacious lofted shot off Salman Ali Agha for six overs was the highlight of a 49-run second-wicket stand with Hendricks.
But Nawaz, introduced in the eighth over, turned the game around. The left-arm spinner fooled De Zorzi with a wide, full delivery from outside off, leaving the batsman stranded while wicketkeeper Usman Khan played a strong knock.
Nawaz was not finished. He accounted for the dangerous Dewald Brevis for nine, the ball skidding down to crash against the stump as the youngster attempted a premeditated sweep.
Matthew Breetzke, promoted to number, struggled to find time and fell at one, playing a short delivery from Saim straight to deep square leg. At 112 for four in the eleventh over, South Africa were reeling.
Captain Donovan Ferreira tried to steady himself, but only managed 10 before Nawaz attacked again, breaking his defenses with a skidded armbar.
Hendricks, who had played a supporting role during the initial bombardment, took charge thereafter. The opener added to his fifty off 32 balls with a high-margin sweep over Saim that sailed for six.
He found a capable ally in Linde, who injected momentum with a 34-ball 36, combined with four boundaries and a six.
The pair added 39 for the sixth wicket, highlighted by Linde’s sweep of Abrar Ahmed for six in the 17th over.
Shaheen Shah Afridi, who bowled 17th over, was taken for 18 runs, including four boundaries between streaks as Linde feasted on the wide. Hendricks looked set for a bigger score, but fell in the 18th, bowled by Abrar while attempting a crosscourt shot.
Naseem Shah removed Linde in the 19th over with a yorker that took away middle stump, while Shaheen returned to dismiss Corbin Bosch, caught at long-on.
The final saw drama when Lizaad Williams ran out attempting a suicide single, Shaheen’s acrobatic collection and Usman’s presence of mind sealed the innings at 194 for nine.
While Nawaz and Saim flourished, Shaheen and Naseem were expensive, conceding 45 and 34 respectively, but delivered late blows. Abrar, despite going for 42, claimed Hendricks’ prized scalp.
The total, although substantial, could have been higher had South Africa avoided a mid-innings collapse. Pakistan will back their batting to reach 195 on a surface that offers little to the bowlers, although the Proteas spinners will relish their opportunities under the lights.
Earlier, former captain Babar and batsman Usman returned to the Pakistan XI.
Babar played his last T20I in December last year, while Usman featured in the Pakistan format in March. The duo replaced Fakhar Zaman, who opted out of the series to play first-class cricket, and Mohammad Haris, whose poor performances of late have worried head coach Mike Hesson.
In the series, Pakistan continues its preparation for next year’s T20 World Cup after putting up a decent performance in its biggest Test under Hesson in the Asia Cup last month – beating every team it faced except world number one and arch-rivals India, which handed them defeats in all three matches, including the final.
South Africa, on the other hand, arrive as a depleted team on paper – the presence of star batsman de Kock, present in a Twenty20 International for the first time since June 2024, standing out in a largely second-string team led by Ferreira, who has just nine T20Is to his name.
Therefore, Pakistan can be safely considered favorites to take the series trophy, which would help restore their damaged confidence after India’s triple thrashing.
The hosts have also not hesitated to strike a balance between experimentation and experience, with the return of Babar.
“He is a world-class player,” Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha said of Babar in the pre-series press conference on the eve of the match. “His presence always benefits the team. He has played more than a hundred T20s, led Pakistan many times and scored many goals. His experience will strengthen our batting line-up.”
Pacer Naseem, who missed both the tri-national series and the Asia Cup, is also set to return. Out-of-bounds bowler Usman Tariq and exciting middle-order batsman Abdul Samad have been recruited as part of Pakistan’s search for depth and flexibility ahead of next year’s top global competition.
“We were looking for a batsman who could play in the middle order, especially against spin,” Salman said, defending the inclusion of Usman Khan over Haris. “Though his international record is not great yet, you must have seen in the PSL that he bats well against spin in the mid overs. We needed that kind of player who could keep wickets and handle spin in that phase.”
Equipment:
Pakistan: Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, Babar Azam, Salman Ali Agha (captain, Usman Khan†, Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Abrar Ahmed
South Africa: Quinton de Kock, Reeza Hendricks, Tony de Zorzi, Dewald Brevis, Matthew Breetzke, Donovan Ferreira (captain), George Linde, Corbin Bosch, Lizaad Williams, Nandre Burger, Lungi Ngidi
