Heinrich Klaasen (97 off 74) was the lone ranger for South Africa, keeping their hopes of chasing down 330 runs alive till the end before Naseem Shah saw his back
Pakistan came up with a clinical performance with bat and ball to crush hosts South Africa by an 81-run margin in the second ODI at Newlands, Cape Town on Thursday (December 19, 2024). With that, the visitors clinched the three-match series 2-0. This is the Men In Green's fifth straight bilateral series victory. (Highlights | More Cricket News)
Babar Azam (73 off 95) scored a fifty at long last, and Mohammad Rizwan (80 off 82) and Kamran Ghulam (63 off 32) too struck sparkling half-centuries as the Men In Green put 329 runs on the board. South Africa were then dismissed for 248 in 43.1 overs, with Shaheen Shah Afridi (4-47) and Naseem Shah (3-37) together scalping seven wickets.
Heinrich Klaasen (97 off 74) was the lone ranger for the Proteas, keeping their hopes of a win alive till the end before Naseem saw his back. Klaasen fell just three runs short of what would have been a well-deserved hundred.
Though the series is already decided in Pakistan's favour, the hosts will be desperate to avoid a 0-3 whitewash at home. The third and final ODI will be played in Johannesburg on Sunday, December 22.
South Africa captain Temba Bavuma won the toss and opted to bowl first against Pakistan. The Proteas were bolstered by the return of regular captain Bavuma, who had sat out the first ODI and Aiden Markram led in his stead.
South Africa: Tony de Zorzi, Temba Bavuma(c), Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen(w), David Miller, Marco Jansen, Andile Phehlukwayo, Bjorn Fortuin, Kwena Maphaka, Tabraiz Shamsi
Pakistan: Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan(w/c), Kamran Ghulam, Salman Agha, Irfan Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed
South Africa: Tony de Zorzi, Ryan Rickelton, Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram(c), Tristan Stubbs, Heinrich Klaasen(w), Marco Jansen, Andile Phehlukwayo, Kagiso Rabada, Ottneil Baartman, Tabraiz Shamsi, Keshav Maharaj, David Miller, Temba Bavuma, Kwena Maphaka
Pakistan: Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan(w/c), Kamran Ghulam, Salman Agha, Irfan Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed, Usman Khan, Tayyab Tahir, Mohammad Hasnain, Sufiyan Muqeem