Abrar Ahmed Spins Pakistan to Series Victory

A Dominant Display in Faisalabad

In a dazzling display of spin bowling, leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed orchestrated a stunning collapse of South Africa’s batting lineup, guiding Pakistan to a commanding seven-wicket victory in the series decider at Faisalabad on Saturday. With this triumph, Pakistan clinched the three-match ODI series 2-1, wrapping up an impressive home season in style.

Abrar Ahmed Spins a Web Around South Africa

Winning the toss for the first time on the tour, South Africa opted to bat but soon found themselves in deep trouble as Pakistan’s bowlers dismantled their batting order for just 143 runs in 37.5 overs. The visitors lost their last eight wickets for a mere 37 runs, courtesy of a mesmerizing spell from Abrar Ahmed, who finished with career-best figures of 4 for 27. On a slow, turning track, Abrar’s variations left South Africa’s inexperienced middle order completely outfoxed.

De Kock’s Milestone Overshadowed by Collapse

Openers Quinton de Kock (53) and Lhuan-dre Pretorius (39) gave South Africa a promising start, adding 72 runs for the first wicket. However, the momentum shifted dramatically when Pretorius was caught at long-on off Salman Ali Agha’s bowling. Soon after, de Kock — who became the second-fastest South African to reach 7,000 ODI runs after Hashim Amla — was trapped lbw by Mohammad Nawaz, triggering a collapse that the Proteas never recovered from.

Abrar’s Magic and Afridi’s Finishing Touch

Abrar Ahmed then stole the show with a brilliant two-over burst that ripped through the middle order. He bowled debutant Rubin Hermann with a deceptive googly before removing Donovan Ferreira and Corbin Bosch with sharp turn and low bounce. Nawaz supported him with figures of 2 for 31, while Shaheen Shah Afridi cleaned up the tail with two wickets in two balls. “We were probably looking at 250,” admitted South African skipper Matthew Breetzke. “But Abrar bowled beautifully, and we couldn’t recover once we lost quick wickets.”

Saim Ayub’s Blazing Knock Seals the Chase

In response, Pakistan chased down the modest target of 144 with remarkable ease, reaching 144/3 in just 25.1 overs. Young opener Saim Ayub led the charge with a scintillating 77 off 70 balls, smashing 11 fours and a six. After Fakhar Zaman departed early for a duck, Ayub and Babar Azam (27) steadied the innings with a fluent 65-run partnership, before Mohammad Rizwan (32)* guided the team home comfortably.

A Fitting End to a Triumphant Home Season

Captain Shaheen Shah Afridi, celebrating victory in his debut ODI series as skipper, praised his side’s collective performance: “This win reflects teamwork across formats. The spinners turned the game around, and everyone played their part.” With this win, Pakistan concluded a remarkable home season — drawing the Test series 1-1 and clinching both the T20I and ODI series against South Africa.

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Sorit Chaudhary

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