Player of the Match
Player of the Match

END OF OVER:
19 | 7 Runs 1 Wkt | PAK: 140/6 | RR: 7.36

  • Usman Khan6 (7b)
  • Faheem Ashraf4 (2b)
  • Andile Simelane3-0-23-1
  • Lizaad Williams3-0-26-2

12:10am It was the first Player-of-the-Match award since April 2023 for Babar in T20Is, which was also in Lahore. Agha lifts the series trophy and heads to the squad that is waiting behind the board that says "WINNERS". That's all we have for you tonight. Do join us for the first ODI on Tuesday afternoon. Should be a fun series that. Till then, take care, stay hydrated. Ciao!

11:55pm Time for the presentation.

Babar Azam, Player of the Match: "The way Lahore crowd supported, this innings was due. I backed myself, the team believed in me. I was hoping for such a knock. There is pressure in everything. It is about how you absorb it. I wanted to do what the team needed, play according to the situation. I worked on my strengths, improved my weaknesses. At the start, the ball was gripping for spinners. Agha and I wanted to see off spinners. Fast bowlers were easy to face. Wanted to take it deep and build partnerships. Worked for the team. People should support every Pakistan player like they support me."

Faheem Ashraf, Player of the Series: "I have a role in the team. I try to play accordingly, be it with ball, bat or on the field. Even if I don't get to bowl or bat, I try to help the team with my fielding. I get edge as a bowler because I can think as a batter. So I try to think like a batter while I bowl, batter gets disturbed. When a batter expects me to bowl slow, I try to go pace-on. I am ready to adapt to the team's need with ball and bat."

Donovan Ferreira, South Africa captain: "We didn't perform with the bat once again. Bowlers did well to fight till the end. Not enough runs on the board. We can take a lot of positives. For our bowlers, never done until the end. For batters, we can't keep losing in clusters. Can take a lot from what they did. They kept it simple, bowled a lot of cutters. Credit to them. [Captaincy] Definitely enjoyed it. Last five overs were exciting, doing something unorthodox. Shout out to the ladies, who are in the finals of the World Cup. We are going to be watching."

Salman Agha, Pakistan strong: "Good team does that. When they have great performance, they back that. T20 World Cup is three-four months away. Players know their roles, it is about executing. What the game needs, you need to do. We have so many games coming up. We have 14-15 games in 20-25 days. Hard for everyone to play every game. [The finish tonight] That's what Pakistan is! Need to be clinical, but I'll take that since we came back from 0-1 to win the series."

11:38pm A perfect Babar Azam run-chase for Pakistan! He took time to get going in the powerplay against spin. But against pace, he was as comfortable as ever. The drives were on show, the cuts were with precision. The stable partnership with Agha helped him accelerate and end the series for Pakistan in a clinical manner. It was a win that was set-up by their bowlers with Afridi, Ashraf and debutant Tariq all chipping in. But if Lahore needed to come alive on a Saturday night, Babar's half-century proved to be the perfect reason for it, Pakistan's 2-1 scoreline only proving to be the icing.

South Africa will have to do a bit of thinking about their batting against off-pace deliveries on a track like tonight's. It was not a sticky pitch per se. The cutters and slower ones were tough to get away, but the track had nothing to do with their dismissal. De Kock failed to counter the inward movement, Pretorius flicked one straight to short fine leg, Breetzke failed to cover the line of the ball. They still did well to put up a fighting score after losing wickets in clusters.

South Africa have a lot of positives as well. Linde's show with the ball, Brevis' cameo tonight, Ferreira against the change-ups and spin of Tariq, Bosch with bat and ball. Sets us up nicely for the ODIs to follow next week. Hang around for the presentations.

aliayyaz: "well these last few overs show you how important Babar is for the batting lineup. "

Akbar: "Not the "six hitting debate" again. Saf did hit 6 sixes and Pak only 1. Yet the winner is Pakistan. Hence proving only looking to hit sixes will not win you matches. "

Kaif: "Agreed with Ibrahim and Zia here! As Zia pointed out, Pakistan fumbled a lot the last 15 runs after Babar's wicket, though thankfully we won. Fault for Babar too that he couldn't take the team across the line, but still a great innings and great running between the wickets which was missing previously as Pakistan had been playing a lot of dot balls in the middle...."

18.6
1
Simelane to Usman Khan, 1 run, Lahore erupts as Usman hits the winning run! Pakistan win by four wickets and take the three-T20I series 2-1. Another short ball, Usman pulls it to deep midwicket all along the ground to signal celebrations
18.5
1
Simelane to Faheem Ashraf, 1 run, Angling down leg, flicked to fine leg. Scores level now
18.4
1
Simelane to Usman Khan, 1 run, Short and down leg, pulled to deep backward square leg

Pakistan three away

18.3
3
Simelane to Faheem Ashraf, 3 runs, Shortish outside off, cut away through point. A long chase for Breetzke and he saves one

Faheem Ashraf is the new man in

18.2
W
Simelane to Mohammad Nawaz, OUT, Chopped on! South Africa continue to chip away. Short ball from around the wicket, Mohammad Nawaz looks to pulls it across the line. Does not judge the bounce and gets an under edge back onto the stumps. Pakistan have lost 4 for 14 now, are South Africa still hoping against hope?

Mohammad Nawaz (3) b Simelane 0 (2m 1b 0x4 0x6) SR: 0

18.1
1
Simelane to Usman Khan, 1 run, Length ball on leg, pulled through midwicket

Mohammad Nawaz waits at the non-striker's end. Simelane back on

shab: "Pakistans problem is big hits. They have hit a total of 1 six in this chase whereas even after struggling through the innings Saf still managed to hit 6 sixes."

END OF OVER:
18 | 5 Runs 1 Wkt | PAK: 133/5 (7 runs required from 12 balls, RR: 7.38, RRR: 3.50)

  • Usman Khan3 (4b)
  • Lizaad Williams3-0-26-2
  • Corbin Bosch4-0-24-2
17.6
W
Williams to Hasan Nawaz, OUT, In the air... and straight to deep square leg! Hasan Nawaz trying to chose his balls to attack. Sees the short ball angled across him as an opportunity to pull. Does not make good contact and hits it straight to Hendricks. Pakistan have lost 13 for 3 but are just seven away

Hasan Nawaz c Hendricks b Williams 5 (8m 8b 1x4 0x6) SR: 62.5

17.5
0
Williams to Hasan Nawaz, no run, Very good bouncer on middle, he sways away
17.4
0
Williams to Hasan Nawaz, no run, Length ball down leg, he plays inside the line
17.3
0
Williams to Hasan Nawaz, no run, Short ball on middle and leg, he defends it back
17.2
4
Williams to Hasan Nawaz, FOUR, Length ball outside off, Nawaz times it all along the ground through cover. It was about using the pace, just a gentle push through a vacant spot in the field. Pakistan seven away
17.1
1
Williams to Usman Khan, 1 run, Length ball slanting away, he opens the bat face to guide it to deep third

END OF OVER:
17 | 5 Runs 1 Wkt | PAK: 128/4 (12 runs required from 18 balls, RR: 7.52, RRR: 4.00)

  • Usman Khan2 (3b)
  • Hasan Nawaz1 (3b)
  • Corbin Bosch4-0-24-2
  • Lizaad Williams2-0-21-1
16.6
1
Bosch to Usman Khan, 1 run, Short and on middle and leg, pulled to deep midwicket. Five runs and a wicket, Bosch finishes the night with 2 for 24

Ibrahim : "This discussion would have been fair if Babar has taken someone's place who plays aggressive risk-reward cricket. At the moment, no one is around as such, so should sum it up?"

16.6
1w
Bosch to Usman Khan, 1 wide, Short and down leg, he leaves it be
16.5
1
Bosch to Hasan Nawaz, 1 run, Shortish down leg, glanced to long leg

zia: "i see every comment that doubts babar gets published, but i think he fits in the t20 side like hand in glove, now that hes out lets see how the team fares these last 15 runs" No one's doubting Babar, certainly not with the amount of runs he has in T20Is

16.4
0
Bosch to Hasan Nawaz, no run, Short ball on leg, he hops and keeps it down from the crease
16.3
0
Bosch to Hasan Nawaz, no run, Length ball outside off, steered to short third

The crowd starts walking out with Babar now gone, Hasan Nawaz is the new batter in. Short leg in place

Abdul: "This innings does give Babar a lot of confidence in upcoming odis"

16.2
W
Bosch to Babar Azam, OUT, Picks out the fielder perfectly! Massive strike but Pakistan are in sight of a win. Once again the around-the-wicket bumper giving returns for South Africa. Bosch digs it in, Babar doesn't have enough time to adjust. Pulls it straight to deep backward square leg, where Hendricks takes a good catch

Babar Azam c Hendricks b Bosch 68 (73m 47b 9x4 0x6) SR: 144.68

16.1
2
Bosch to Babar Azam, 2 runs, Juicy full toss on the body, whipped away to deep midwicket for a couple

Bosch from around the wicket now

ABAE: "Not saying he's without fault but I also don't think Babar would play a chase of 180-200 the same way. He's definitely not the type of player to play high risk high reward cricket when the run rate doesn't demand it, unlike other more naturally aggressive players" fair point

Pakistan 2nd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st8Sahibzada FarhanSaim Ayub
2nd36Babar AzamSahibzada Farhan
3rd76Babar AzamAgha Salman
4th5Babar AzamUsman Khan
5th8Usman KhanHasan Nawaz
6th1Mohammad Nawaz (3)Usman Khan
7th6Faheem AshrafUsman Khan