TOP STORIES
Captain Salman Agha speaks on Pakistan's crushing defeat against South Africa in 1st T20I
Pakistan crashed to a huge 55-run loss in the first T20I against South Africa on Tuesday in Rawalpindi, starting the three-match series on a dull note. South Africa, delivering an exceptional all-round performance, bowled Pakistan out for 139 in 18.1 overs, handing the visitors a crushing defeat. Asked to bat, South Africa capitalised on a good start, posting 194/9 in 20 overs. Reeza Hendricks anchored the innings with a gutsy 60 off 40, while Tony de Zorzi, making his T20I debut, smashed a quickfire 33 off 16.
Meanwhile, Pakistan chasing 194, started on a promising note with Sahibzada Farhan blasting 24 and Saim Ayub scoring a measured 37 off 38. However, the major concern for Pakistan remained their middle order that failed to take advantage of a lively start.
The big blow came when Babar Azam's T20I comeback ended in a two-ball duck, as the match was largely centred around his T20I comeback. Speaking on the defeat, Pakistan captain Salman Agha highlighted flaws in both the batting and bowling departments.
"We are losing wickets too quickly, especially in the middle overs, and we need to fix that. We just need to bat properly, rotate the strike, take singles and doubles, and build partnerships. That's where we are missing out right now. If we have good partnerships, we can chase these kinds of totals," Agha said during the post-match presentation.
Pakistan bowlers were also unable to restrict South Africa to a manageable total, with Shaheen Afridi and Abrar Ahmed conceding 45 and 42 runs each. Mohammad Nawaz was the outstanding performer for Pakistan, nabbing three wickets and leaking only 26 runs in his four overs.
Tags
More News
NZ vs WI, 1st T20I: All you need to know, head-to-head, playing XI
New Zealand are gearing up to host West Indies in a high-voltage five-match T20I series, set to kick off in Auckland on Wednesday. New Zealand, who will be led by ever-reliable Mitchell Santner, will be eager to rediscover their winning touch in the shortest format, following a tough run of results against England and Australia earlier this yea...
Jitesh Sharma to lead India A in Rising Stars Asia Cup
Indian wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh Sharma is slated to lead India A in the Rising Stars Asia Cup set to be held from November 14 to November 23 in Qatar. Naman Dhir has been named his deputy. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced a 15-member squad that also features the likes of Priyansh Arya, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Nehal Wadhera and Ramandeep Singh.
Fi...
Tom Moody to join Lucknow Super Giants as global director of cricket: Reports
Tom Moody is set to assume the role of Global Director of Cricket at Lucknow Super Giants ahead of the 2026 IPL season, according to ESPNcricinfo. The position will have him take overarching responsibility for LSG in the Indian Premier League (IPL), the sister franchise Durban’s Super Giants in the SA20, and the Manchester-based team in The Hun...
RCB appoint Anya Shrubsole as bowling coach ahead of WPL 2026
Royal Challengers Bengaluru have reportedly appointed former England pace-ace Anya Shrubsole as the new bowling coach ahead of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026 season. The latest development comes amid the elevation of long-time assistant and former Tamil Nadu spinner Malolan Rangarajan to the role of head coach. Malolan Rangarajan has been promoted to the...
New Zealand's Tim Seifert out of West Indies T20Is with broken finger
New Zealand's wicketkeeper-batter Tim Seifert is set to miss the upcoming five-match T20I series against West Indies with a broken finger. New Zealand have called up Mitch Hay to the squad as Seifert’s replacement. Seifert picked up the injury after being rapped by a delivery while batting for Northern Districts in the Ford Trophy for Northern Districts ag...
Android App
iOS App
YouTube
Facebook
Instagram