KEY POINTS
- Captains Shaheen Shah Afridi and Matthew Breetzke jointly revealed the trophy.
- All three ODI matches will be played at the Iqbal Stadium.
- Pakistan and South Africa have faced off 87 times in ODIs, with South Africa leading 52–34.
FAISALABAD, Pakistan: The shining trophy for the three-match ODI series between Pakistan and South Africa was unveiled on Monday at the Iqbal Cricket Stadium, celebrating the long-awaited return of international cricket to Faisalabad after a gap of over 17 years.
Pakistan’s newly appointed ODI captain Shaheen Shah Afridi and South Africa’s skipper Matthew Breetzke jointly revealed the silverware during a vibrant ceremony that drew enthusiastic fans and officials eager to witness the revival of elite cricket in the city.
This ODI series holds special significance, as Faisalabad last hosted an international 50-over match on April 11, 2008, when Pakistan defeated Bangladesh by seven wickets at the same venue.
All three ODIs between Pakistan and South Africa will be played at the Iqbal Stadium, with the second and third matches scheduled for November 6 and 8, respectively.
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The current tour is nearing its conclusion following the completion of the Test and T20I series. The two-match Test series ended in a 1-1 draw, while Pakistan claimed the T20I series 2–1, thanks to a commanding performance by Babar Azam in the decider at Lahore on Saturday.
Chasing a modest target of 140 in the T20I finale, Pakistan sealed victory with six balls remaining. Babar’s fluent 68 off 47 balls, featuring nine boundaries, led the charge, while Agha Salman chipped in with 33 off 26 deliveries. Faheem Ashraf and Usman Khan saw Pakistan home after a brief middle-order collapse.
Earlier, Pakistan’s bowling attack, spearheaded by Shaheen Afridi and Salman Mirza, restricted South Africa to 139 for nine in 20 overs with a disciplined display of pace and control.
Historically, the two sides have shared a fierce rivalry in ODI cricket. Out of 87 ODIs, Pakistan have won 34, while South Africa have emerged victorious 52 times, with one match ending without a result.
At Faisalabad, the teams have met three times before, Pakistan winning twice (1994, 2007) and South Africa once (2003).
Squads
Pakistan: Shaheen Shah Afridi (c), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Faisal Akram, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mohammad Wasim Jr, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha.
South Africa: Matthew Breetzke (c), Corbin Bosch, Dewald Brevis, Nandre Burger, Gerald Coetzee, Quinton de Kock, Tony de Zorzi, Donovan Ferreira, Bjorn Fortuin, George Linde, Kwena Maphaka, Lungi Ngidi, Nqaba Peter, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Sinethemba Qeshile.
