Pakistan made history by becoming the first team to clean-sweep South Africa in a bilateral ODI series on South African soil on December 23 (Sunday). Led by Mohammad Rizwan, Pakistan clinched the remarkable feat with a 36-run (DLS) victory in the rain-affected third SA vs PAK ODI at The Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg. Saim Ayub was the star with the bat, smashing his second ton of the ODI series, scoring 101 runs, while debutant Sufiyan Muqeem shone with the ball, claiming four wickets for 52 runs.
Despite a blistering 81 off 43 balls from Heinrich Klaasen, South Africa fell short by 36 runs by virtue of the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method. This dominant 3-0 series win will come as a significant boost for Pakistan's confidence ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
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Saim Ayub, Sufiyan Muqeem Power Pakistan To Historic Win
Pakistan were put into bat first after losing the toss and faced early setbacks as Kagiso Rabada dismissed Abdullah Shafique for a golden duck, leaving the team 1-1 the very first over. However, Saim Ayub played a pivotal role in Pakistan's innings, building two crucial partnerships: a 114-run stand for the second wicket with Babar Azam (52 off 71) and a 93-run stand for the third with skipper Mohammad Rizwan (53 off 52). Ayub's 101 off 94 balls powered Pakistan to a total of 308/9 in a rain-shortened 47-over game at The Wanderers.
In response, Heinrich Klaasen led the charge for the hosts with a blistering 81 off 43 balls, while Corbin Bosch remained unbeaten on 40 but that wasn’t enough for the Proteas. Pakistan's Sufiyan Muqeem was the standout bowler, claiming 4/52 in his eight overs as South Africa were eventually bowled out for 271 in 42 overs, falling short of the 308-run target. With the win, Pakistan became the first team in the history to clean-sweep South Africa in a bilateral ODI series.