Rizwan lauds Saim and Salman’s heroics against South Africa

KARACHI: White-ball captain Mohammad Rizwan praised the outstanding performances of Saim Ayub and Agha Salman after Pakistan clinched a thrilling three-wicket win over South Africa in the first ODI of the three-match series on Tuesday in Paarl.

During the post-match presentation, Rizwan commended the duo’s composure under pressure. “It was a team game. Their openers got a good start, but our spinners put the squeeze on them. Ayub and Agha played mature knocks. After a long time, we have seen a knock like Agha’s,” said Rizwan.

The wicket-keeper batter also highlighted Agha Salman’s sportsmanship in handing his Player of the Match award to Ayub. “The ODI format is long, and you can always make a comeback. 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’m happy to see Agha give 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 brisk 109 off 119 balls and Agha’s unbeaten 82 off 90 orchestrated a 141-run stand that shifted the momentum in Pakistan’s favor.

Despite a late collapse, Agha Salman held his nerve and sealed the win 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 chipped in with two wickets, while Shaheen Afridi and Saim Ayub took one each.