White-ball captain Mohammad Rizwan praised the excellent performances of Saim Ayub and Agha Salman after Pakistan claimed a thrilling three-wicket victory over South Africa in the first ODI of the three-match series on Tuesday in Paarl.
During the post-match presentation, Rizwan praised the duo’s composure under pressure.
“It was a team game. Their openers started well but our spinners put pressure on them. Ayub and Agha played mature blows. After a long time, we saw a knock like Agha,” Rizwan said.
The goalkeeper batsman also highlighted Agha Salman’s sportsmanship by handing over the Player of the Match award to Ayub.
“The ODI format is long and you can always go back. If you take wickets after the powerplay and in the middle overs, you will always be in the game. My job is to keep the team together and I am happy to see Agha hand over the award to Ayub,” he added.
Pakistan’s victory was built on a phenomenal partnership between Ayub and Agha Salman. Chasing a target of 240, Pakistan stumbled early, losing four wickets for just 60 runs.
However, Ayub’s quick 109 off 119 and Agha’s unbeaten 82 off 90 orchestrated a 141-run stand that shifted the momentum in Pakistan’s favour.
Despite a late collapse, Agha Salman remained calm and sealed victory with a boundary in the final over, guiding Pakistan to 242/7 in 49.3 overs.
Earlier, South Africa managed 239/9 in their 50 overs thanks to a crucial 73-run partnership between Heinrich Klaasen (86 off 97) and Aiden Markram (35 off 54).
Ryan Rickelton and Tony de Zorzi’s 70-run opening stand gave the hosts a solid start but Pakistan’s spinners, led by Salman Ali Agha (4/32), dismantled the middle order.
Abrar Ahmed took two wickets while Shaheen Afridi and Saim Ayub took one each.
The victory gives Pakistan a 1-0 lead in the series, with the second ODI scheduled for tomorrow in Cape Town.
