Pakistan had swept South Africa at their home ground last year.
Shakeel-ur-Rehman
PESHAWAR: The first match of the 03-match ODI series between Pakistan and South Africa is being played at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad today. All three matches of the series will be played at the same stadium. This is the 12th one-on-one series between the two countries since 1991. South Africa has won 8 and Pakistan 3. Pakistan has defeated South Africa on its soil three times in 2013, 2021 and 2024.
So far, 11 ODI series have been played. The important thing is that when South Africa resumed cricket after the ban was lifted in 1991, there was no mutual series between the two countries in the first and last decade of the century. However, both teams continued to play in some tournament on an annual basis. Sometimes the tournament was held in South Africa, sometimes in Pakistan, sometimes in a third country. Pakistan was the winner in the last four matches.
The first bilateral ODI series between the two countries was played in the 2002-03 season when the Pakistani team was on tour in South Africa. Pakistan was defeated 4-1 in the five-match series. The next series was held in Pakistan in the 2003/04 season. Here too, South Africa won the five-match series 2-3. After this, when Pakistan toured South Africa in the 2006-07 season, South Africa won the five-match series 3-1. Then South Africa toured Pakistan-08. In the 2007-08 series of five ODI matches in Pakistan, South Africa won 3-2. After this, a series of five ODI matches between Pakistan and South Africa was held in the United Arab Emirates in the 2010-11 season. Here too, South Africa won 3-2. Pakistan toured South Africa in 2013. They lost three-two in a five-match ODI series. It seemed as if South Africa was winning continuously. The five-match UAE series between Pakistan and South Africa in 2013 was also won by South Africa four-one. Then in 2013, Pakistan toured South Africa immediately. A three-match ODI series was played there, which Pakistan won two-one. This was the first series that Pakistan managed to win against South Africa after losing seven consecutive series. After that, Pakistan played a five-match series in South Africa in 2018/19. South Africa was victorious three-two. In 2021, Pakistan won the three-match series it played in its last tour of South Africa by two-one, so Pakistan won in South Africa for the second time. In 2024, Pakistan also achieved a clean sweep for the third time by defeating South Africa 3-0 on their own soil. Which was the only clean sweep in the last eleven series. Pakistan has won three series in South Africa. Pakistan has failed in its own country and at neutral venues.
Even if we look at the overall performance of both countries, South Africa has the upper hand. Pakistan has won 34 of the 87 one-day matches played so far. South Africa has won 52 matches. One match was inconclusive. South Africa’s AB de Villiers is at the top of the batting table. He has scored 1423 runs in 32 matches against Pakistan. In which the best innings was 128 runs. During this time, he scored three centuries and ten half-centuries. Jacques Kallis is in second place, who has scored 1273 runs in 42 matches. The best innings was 109 runs. In third place is Mohammad Yousuf who scored 1116 runs. His best innings was 117 runs. In fourth place is Gary Kirsten who scored 1054 runs. His best innings was 118 runs. Hashim Amla is in fifth place who scored 1047 runs in ODIs against Pakistan. His best innings was 122 runs. In this list, Babar Azam has scored 744 runs and his best innings was 103 runs. He scored these runs at an average of 57.23. Waqar Younis is at the top of the bowling table who has taken 58 wickets. His best bowling is five wickets for 25 runs. In second place is Nithini who has dismissed 49 Pakistani players. His best bowling is five wickets for 21 runs. In third place is Jean Pollock who has taken 49 wickets and his best bowling is 23 runs. There are five wicket.
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