Pakistan national cricket team captain Shaheen Afridi has lashed out at senior batsmen Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan and poor fielding after they lost the second ODI against South Africa by eight wickets at the Iqbal Cricket Stadium in Faisalabad on November 6.
Pakistan’s hopes of capturing the ongoing three-match ODI series were dashed as South Africa easily chased down 270 to level the series 1-1. After electing to bat first, Pakistan got off to a poor start and slipped to 22/3, before Sam Ayub and Salman Ali Aga took things over with a 92-run partnership.
Shaheen Afridi angry after South Africa beats Pakistan to level ODI series 1-1
Ayub (53) and Salman (69) both scored half-centuries, helping their team recover from the initial shock as Babar and Rizwan could only manage 11 and 4 runs respectively, while opener Fakhar Zaman was out for a duck in three balls against South Africa in Faisalabad.
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Later, Mohammad Nawaz’s career-best ODI innings of 59 took the total to 269 runs, giving Pakistan a fighting chance against South Africa in the second ODI. Notably, Faheem Ashraf also contributed 28 runs off 18 balls to the competitive total following the top-order failure.
However, the target proved too small for the Proteas’ in-form batting lineup, and three dropped catches proved too costly for the hosts’ defence. Luan-Dre Pretorius gave them a flying start, scoring 40 before Quinton de Kock and Tony De Zorzi took control.
The pair made a huge partnership of 153 runs, destroying Pakistan’s bowling attack. De Kock was at his best, remaining unbeaten on 123, while De Zorzi played a blistering 76 as South Africa completed the chase against Shaheen Afridi-led Pakistan with about 10 overs to spare.
Shaheen Afridi blamed Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan and poor fielding for Pakistan’s crushing defeat in the second ODI.
Pakistan’s bowlers struggled to control the Proteas’ wrath, with only Mohammad Wasim and Faheem Ashraf managing to take one wicket each.
After the match, Shaheen Afridi admitted that dropping catches cost Pakistan dearly and the team needed to regroup before the third and final ODI on 8 November. Afridi also blamed Rizwan, Fakhar and Babar for the Men in Green’s defeat in Faisalabad.
Shaheen Afridi said in the post-match presentation, “It’s a bit tough, but I think Sam and Agha did very well, and their partnership helped us a bit. Three wickets early and then 270 – I think it was a good score. Unfortunately, the dropped catches hurt us. If you always win, you can’t see what’s happening around you. But I think we will come back stronger. We will come back stronger.” Will do.”
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Pakistan had to give expensive drops in the second ODI against South Africa
Notably, Shaheen Afridi-led Pakistan dropped three crucial catches while chasing South Africa’s target in the second ODI. The first chance came when Naseem Shah almost dismissed Luan-Dre Pretorius in the sixth over. Pretorius made a mistake by delivering a slower ball straight to the bowler, but Naseem misjudged the pace and dropped an easy return catch.
Later, Quinton de Kock got a lucky chance when Mohammad Nawaz failed to hold on to deep backward square leg. De Kock’s flick shot reached the fielder perfectly, but despite touching both hands, Nawaz could not keep the ball in his grip.
The third miss came off the bowling of Salman Ali Aga, when Faheem Ashraf edged Tony De Zorzi to deep midwicket. These missed chances proved costly for Pakistan, as the South African batsmen took full advantage of the opportunity and snatched the match.