Pakistan started the three-match ODI series on a winning note after holding their nerve in a tense finish against South Africa at the Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad. Pakistan vs South Africa 1st ODI 2025 Contest was full with thriller till the last over, Shaheen Shah Afridi’s men chased down 264 with 2 balls to spare.
New captain Shaheen Afridi started his journey as a ODI captain with a thrilling win.
South Africa’s Strong Start, Sudden Collapse
Pakistan won the toss and decided to bowl first. South Africa’s openers came prepared to tackle Pakistan’s bowling attack, and survived early spell.
Quinton de Kock (63) and Lhuan-dre Pretorius (57) provided a commanding start, adding 98 runs for the first wicket inside 16 overs. Both openers attacked the Pakistan’s bowling attack and scored at good pace. Saim Ayub provided the first breakthrough to Pakistan when he took the wicket of good looking Pretorius. At that point, South Africa was looking for 300+.
De Kock and Toni de Zorzi (18) contributed together 43 runs, at team score of 141 Naseem Shah bowled de Kock. Just after 6 balls in next over, Saim Ayub struck again, and removed Toni de Zorzi.
Captain Breetzke 42 and Qeshile 22 had partnership of 44 runs, and South Africa was looking solid at 191/3 in 33 overs. After the wicket of Qeshile, South Africa crumbled, and lost the wickets one after another at regular intervals, and at one point was 228/8. Thanks to Corbin Bosch who batted really well at the lower order, scored 41(40), and stretched South African Inning to 262. South Africa failed to play 50 overs, and got all out at 263-10 in 49.1 overs.
Pakistan’s best bowling figure Naseem Shah 3/40 bowled really well, and took the important wickets at crucial points. Abrar Ahmed 3/53, and Saim Ayub 2/39 kept the South African batsman under pressure and took much needed wickets.
Pakistan’s Chase: From Calm Start to Nervy Finish
Chasing 264, Pakistan’s approach was clear from the start: attack the new ball and control the chase from the front.
Fakhar Zaman (45) and Saim Ayub (39) started with aggression and had a 87 runs of stand. Once both openers departed, Babar Azam 7 departed right after Saim Ayub and Pakistan was 106/3. South Africa was back in the game at that point.
Pakistan’s middle order showed remarkable maturity this time. Mohammad Rizwan (55 off 74) and Salman Ali Agha (62 off 71) played brilliantly, rotated strike and punished the bad deliveries.
Their 91-run stand steadied Pakistan, and Pakistan was 73 runs away from victory, looking easy win, and Corbin Bosch struck, and removed the Rizwan.
Hussain Talat contributed valuable 22 runs, and Pakistan lost 5th wicket on team score of 241 runs. Pakistan lost two consecutive wickets within very short span of runs, and suddenly the score was 252/7, still 12 runs to win.
Muhammad Nawaz and Shaheen Shah Afridi the captain, managed to cross the line, and Pakistan won the match by 2 runs.
From South African bowling side, Ngidi, Ferreira, and Corbin Bosch took 2 wickets each, with the best figure of Corbin Bosch 2/32.
Salman Ali Agha awarded as a Man of the Match scoring 62 runs in 71 balls, and taking Pakistan close to the win.
Pakistan vs South Africa 1st ODI 2025: Final Thoughts
This 1st ODI wasn’t just another tight finish—it was a statement of Pakistan’s evolving identity under Shaheen Afridi. Pakistan’s recent record in ODI tournaments was not that promising. So hoping Shaheen’s will bring better days for Pakistan’s ODI cricket.
South Africa will rue their missed opportunities but can draw positives from their openers and their bowlers tried well to pull back the things.
For fans, the game was a reminder that ODIs can still deliver thrillers.
