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South Africa choose to bat first against Pakistan in ODI series decider
South Africa have won the toss and opted to bat first against Pakistan in the third and final ODI of the three-match series at Iqbal Cricket Stadium on Saturday.
After winning the toss, the South Africa captain said that something above 290 will be good. “In a game like this, we just feel runs on the board will be important… Qeshile is out with an injury. Rubin Hermann makes his debut, and Ngidi is in for Linde.”
Shaheen Afridi said that Abrar Ahmed and Haris Rauf are back, while Naseem Shah and Mohammad Wasim have been rested.
Naseem Shah and Mohammad Wasim are rested, said Shaheen Afridi. Abrar Ahmed and Haris Rauf are back in the starting lineup. Rubin Hermann makes his debut, and Ngidi is in for Linde for South Africa.
In the previous match, South Africa delivered an impressive batting display, comfortably chasing a 270-run target to defeat Pakistan by eight wickets.
The thumping victory helped South Africa level the series against Pakistan at 1-1, with the third and final ODI set to be played at the same venue on Saturday.
The touring side made the light work of the 270-run target set by Pakistan as they achieved the total for the loss of just two wickets and 59 balls to spare.
South Africa got off to a flamboyant start to the pursuit, courtesy of a brisk 81-run stand between openers Lhuan-dre Pretorius and de Kock.
Returning Mohammad Wasim Jr provided the home side with a much-needed breakthrough in the 12th over by getting Pretorius caught behind. The opener made a 40-ball 46 with the help of seven fours and a six.
Following his dismissal, Tony de Zorzi joined de Kock in the middle, and the duo strengthened South Africa’s position by putting together 153 runs for the second wicket.
The match-defining partnership culminated in the 35th over when Faheem Ashraf got de Zorzi caught at point. He walked back after scoring a brisk 76 off just 63 deliveries, smashing nine fours and three sixes.
Quinton de Kock, on the other hand, carried his bat all the way through and top-scored with an unbeaten 123 off 119 deliveries, studded with eight fours and seven sixes. He received notable support from captain Matthew Breetzke, who made 16 not out from 20 balls.
For Pakistan, Wasim Jr and Faheem could pick up a wicket apiece.
Opting to bat first, the home team finished at 269/9 in the allotted 50 overs, courtesy of a late onslaught.
Playing XI:
Pakistan: Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub, Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Salman Agha, Hussain Talat, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Shah Afridi (c), Faheem Ashraf, Abrar Ahmed, and Haris Rauf.
South Africa: Quinton de Kock (wk), Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Tony de Zorzi, Rubin Hermann, Matthew Breetzke (c), Donovan Ferreira, Corbin Bosch, Bjorn Fortuin, Nandre Burger, Nqabayomzi Peter, and Lungi Ngidi.
Pakistan have elected to field first against India in the 27th match of the Men’s T20 World Cup in Colombo on Sunday.
According to details surfaced on Sunday, the Green Shirts will look to continue the momentum, they got after thumping Netherlands and USA.
Pakistan XI: Sahibzada Farhan (wk), Saim Ayub, Salman Agha (capt), Babar Azam, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Tariq, Abrar Ahmed
India XI: Ishan Kishan (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (capt), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah
Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has criticised the defending champions over the recent “no-handshake” controversy involving Pakistan during the ACC Men’s Asia Cup, terming the gesture unnecessary and against the true spirit of the game.
The two Asian giants will face off in the T20 World Cup 2026 clash here on Sunday at the R Premadasa Stadium, with fans eagerly waiting to see whether the two captains shake hands.
Taking to the social media platform X, the former cricketer-turned-commentator expressed concern over what he termed an unbecoming trend that contradicts cricket’s long-standing traditions of sportsmanship.
“This ‘no shaking hands’ is such a silly thing that India has started. It’s unbecoming of a nation like ours. Either play properly within the spirit of the game or don’t play at all,” he wrote.
The absence of the customary post-match handshake has continued in recent encounters between the arch-rivals.
Players from both sides have avoided traditional interactions since their group-stage clash at the ACC Men’s T20 Asia Cup in Dubai last year.
The issue first drew widespread attention during that fixture when Suryakumar Yadav did not greet Agha Salman at the toss.
After India sealed victory, Suryakumar and teammate Shivam Dube walked back to the pavilion immediately after scoring the winning runs, further fuelling debate.
India and Pakistan faced each other twice more in the tournament — in the Super Four stage and the final — but handshakes were again notably absent on both occasions.
Moreover, after defeating Pakistan in the final, the Men in Blue refrained from receiving the trophy from Mohsin Naqvi, who serves as Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board and President of the Asian Cricket Council.
The practice has not been limited to senior men’s cricket.
Similar scenes were witnessed during their meeting at the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup, as well as in age-group and emerging competitions, including the ACC Men’s Asia Cup Rising Stars Championship and the ACC Under-19 Asia Cup.
In the recently concluded ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2026, India captain Ayush Mhatre and Pakistan skipper Farhan Yousaf also avoided shaking hands following their match, highlighting how the controversy has extended across different levels of international cricket.
The practice remained the same during the recently concluded match between Pakistan A and India A in the ACC Asia Cup Rising Stars Women’s 2026 on Sunday.
India A dominated Pakistan A in a one-sided contest at the Tardthai Cricket Ground, winning by eight wickets in the ACC Asia Cup Rising Stars Women’s 2026 on Sunday.
Chasing a modest target of 94 runs, India A overcame early jitters after losing opener Humaira Kazi on the very first delivery. Another opener, Dinesh Vrinda, was joined by Anushka Sharma, and the pair quickly stabilised the innings while maintaining an aggressive approach.
They added 79 runs for the second partnership.
Vrinda remained unbeaten on 55 off just 29 balls, smashing 12 boundaries, while Anushka contributed a crucial 24 runs before being removed.
For Pakistan, Waheeda Akhtar and Momina Riasat picked up a wicket each.
Batting first after winning the toss, Pakistan A were bundled out for just 93 after having a disastrous start, losing four wickets for just 21 runs inside the powerplay. The Green Shirts never recovered, with wickets falling at regular intervals, leaving them all out for a meager total.
Shawaal Zulfiqar top-scored with 23 runs, while Gull Rukh added 21 and Anosha Nasir contributed 17. Apart from these three, no other batter managed to reach double figures.
India A’s bowlers dominated from start to finish. Saima Thakor, Radha Yadav, and Prema Rawat each claimed two wickets, effectively dismantling Pakistan A’s lineup.
Pakistan A and India A have been placed in Group A alongside Nepal and the United Arab Emirates, and are playing their second match of the tournament. Pakistan opened their campaign with a victory over Nepal, while India suffered a surprise defeat to the UAE in their first game.
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