Pakistan National Cricket Team vs South Africa National Cricket Team Match Scorecard

If you wanted a “nails-between-teeth” ODI, the first pakistan national cricket team vs south africa national cricket team match scorecard clash at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad, on 4 November 2025 delivered in full. Chasing 264, Pakistan wobbled late but scampered home by two wickets with two balls to spare, taking a 1–0 lead in the three-match series. Salman Ali Agha’s poised fifty and Mohammad Rizwan’s ice-cool anchor job neutralized a South African attack that kept swinging the game back with wickets in the dusk.

Match Snapshot (Scorecard Essentials)

• Result: Pakistan 264/8 in 49.4 ov beat South Africa 263 in 49.1 ov by 2 wickets

• Venue: Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad

• Player of the Match: Salman Ali Agha (62 off 71)

• Series: South Africa tour of Pakistan 2025/26 — Pakistan lead 1–0

• Notable stat: Highest successful ODI chase at Faisalabad.

Top Performers

• Pakistan batting: Salman Ali Agha 62 (71), Mohammad Rizwan 55, Fakhar Zaman 45

• Pakistan bowling: Naseem Shah 3/40, Abrar Ahmed 3/53

• South Africa batting: Quinton de Kock 63, Dwaine Pretorius 57, Corbin Bosch 41

• South Africa bowling: Corbin Bosch 2/32, Lungi Ngidi 2/46

How South Africa Reached 263: De Kock’s Class, Pretorius’ Punch

Inserted into a tricky afternoon, South Africa made a brisk start and were 62 without loss after the first powerplay, with Quinton de Kock unfurling signature cuts and pick-ups. The innings never quite exploded into the 300-plus lane, though, as Pakistan’s spinners gripped the middle. De Kock’s 63 and a combative 57 from Dwaine Pretorius stitched the backbone, while Corbin Bosch’s busy 41 gave the back end some bite. Crucially, Pakistan’s death bowling throttled the surge: Naseem Shah (3/40) and Abrar Ahmed (3/53) split six wickets, forcing South Africa to settle for 263 in 49.1 overs—competitive, not crushing.

From Pakistan’s perspective, the control metrics stood out. Naseem’s heavy-length discipline and Abrar’s drift-and-dip drew miscues, while Shaheen Afridi and Saim Ayub chipped in to keep the rate honest. A tidy fielding display limited twos on a big square, preventing the innings from ballooning. The PCB’s match page logged Pakistan’s full bowling split (Afridi 10-0-55-1, Naseem 9.1-1-40-3, Abrar 9-1-53-3, Saim 8-0-39-2, Nawaz 10-0-45-1), an all-hands shift that later proved decisive.

The Chase: Openers Set the Table, Middle Order Plates the Meal

On a surface that kept turning and reversing under lights, Pakistan engineered the chase in phases. Fakhar Zaman (45 off 57) and Saim Ayub supplied the early platform with an 87-run stand in 15.2 overs, blunting the new ball and allowing the dressing room to exhale. When South Africa pried both openers out, Pakistan recalibrated: Mohammad Rizwan played the metronome, Salman Ali Agha the tempo-switcher. Their dual fifties were a clinic in ODI chase management—drop-and-run singles, press the gaps, punish the odd error.

The critical passage arrived post-30 overs. With the ball skidding and the field spread, Rizwan’s 55 kept the worm aligned to the par, while Agha’s 62 accelerated in bursts, never allowing dot-ball pressure to compound. South Africa’s defense was spirited—Bosch (2/32) jagged a length that kept batsmen on the splice, Ngidi (2/46) mixed cross-seam and cutters, and Fortuin/ Linde hunted on the rough—yet Pakistan always seemed one solid stroke away from calm.

Finale: A Six, a Stumble, and a Squeeze to the Line

As happens so often in Pakistan chases, the ending went cinematic. With 12 needed off 12, tension spiked. Mohammad Nawaz muscled a straight six that yanked momentum back, only to fall to Bosch in the final over, keeping Faisalabad breathless to the last. Two balls later, a leg-bye sealed the win, 264/8 in 49.4. Scoreline aside, the moment felt bigger: a young core closing under lights, the captain Shaheen Afridi praising batters for handling swing and grip on a surface that never truly settled.

This was, statistically, the highest successful ODI chase at Faisalabad a neat ribbon on a nervy night and a marker for a team learning to finish the hard way.

Why Salman Ali Agha Was Player of the Match

It wasn’t merely the 62 (71); it was how he absorbed then transferred pressure. Early in his stay, Agha respected Linde’s round-the-wicket darts and Fortuin’s change of pace, refusing the big risk. Once Pakistan’s equation flattened, he targeted width and length errors to keep the rate comfortable. In the ledger: a control innings that tethered the chase to reality while leaving enough runway for the tail-enders to land it. The vote was unanimous; the official listing named Agha as Player of the Match.

Key Turning Points

1. Middle-overs squeeze with the ball: Naseem and Abrar’s combined 6 for 93 stunted South Africa’s 300-dream and forced a par-ish total.

2. Fakhar–Saim foundation: An 87-run opening stand reset the tone and shielded the middle order from a hard new ball.

3. Rizwan–Agha partnership: Twin fifties under pressure—minimal dot balls, maximal control—kept Pakistan ahead of DLS-style projections in the mind.

4. Nawaz’s late six: With the match rattling, that straight hit off Donovan Ferreira unclenched the crowd and the dressing room alike.

5. Bosch’s heart and Ngidi’s nous: South Africa’s pair almost forced a heist; fine margins separated “thriller won” from “thriller lost.”

What the Numbers Say

• South Africa 263 (49.1): De Kock 63, Pretorius 57, Bosch 41; Naseem 3/40, Abrar 3/53.

• Pakistan 264/8 (49.4): Agha 62, Rizwan 55, Fakhar 45; Bosch 2/32, Ngidi 2/46.

• Series context: Pakistan lead 1–0 with momentum, and a template—bowlers forcing sub-par, batters closing late—that will please a new-look leadership group.

The Road Ahead

There’s barely time to breathe: a quick turnaround into the second ODI means bench management and match-ups loom large. South Africa will argue they were 20–30 short (their own post-match admission) and will eye earlier acceleration or a slog-sweep plan versus Abrar. Pakistan, meanwhile, will want smoother finishing—same calm, fewer palpitations. Either way, if Faisalabad’s mood was a forecast, this series is already must-watch.

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Full Scorecard & Official References

For the complete ball-by-ball and score breakdowns, see the ESPNcricinfo full scorecard and report, Cricbuzz match page, and PCB match details used in this article.

Sources:

• ESPNcricinfo scorecard & match report (PAK 264/8 beat SA 263), Nov 4, 2025.

• Cricbuzz match page (result, highlights, key commentary).

• PCB match details (Pakistan bowling split vs SA).

Note: This article focuses on the latest ODI between the two national sides in Faisalabad on 4 Nov 2025 and reflects official scorecard data at publication time.