Fakhar scored 41 off 28 balls, with the help of six fours and a six, while Saud scored 15 off 16 balls.
Rizwan & Agha Propel Pakistan to Crucial Victory Over South Africa. Pakistan booked their place in the final of the tournament by defeating South Africa by six wickets in the elimination match of the tri-nation series on Wednesday after a record partnership between Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Ali Agha.
Chasing a tough target of 353 runs at the National Bank Stadium in Karachi, the home side scored the winning runs for the loss of four wickets and six balls thanks to a record fourth-wicket partnership between Agha and Rizwan.
However, Pakistan had a mixed start to the chase as their twenty-one batsman Babar Azam continued to struggle in his role as an opener and was dismissed by Wayne Mulder on the first ball of the seventh over.
The right-handed batsman scored 23 runs off 19 balls, which was studded with four fours.
Pakistan’s in-form opener Fakhar Zaman then put on a brief 36-run partnership for the second wicket with Saud Shakeel before both were destroyed in quick succession, taking the total to 91/3 in 10.4 overs.
Fakhar scored 41 off 28 balls, with the help of six fours and a six, while Saud scored 15 off 16 balls.
After the collapse, Salman Ali Agha joined Mohammad Rizwan in the middle and turned the tide of the game by setting a record for the highest partnership for Pakistan in a run chase in ODIs.
The duo added a record 260 runs for the fourth wicket until Lungi Ngidi rescued Salman on the fifth ball of the last over.
For Pakistan, Agha scored 134 off 103 balls, with the help of 16 fours and two sixes.
On the other hand, Rizwan batted his way through the innings with an unbeaten 122 off 128 balls, with the help of 9 fours and 3 sixes.
For South Africa, Mulder took two wickets while Ngidi and Corbin Bosh took one wicket each.
South African captain Temba Bawuma’s decision to bat first paid dividends as the visitors posted a total of 352/5 in the allotted 50 overs.
The Proteas started their innings well as their new opening pair of Tony de Zorzi and captain Bawuma added 51 runs for the first wicket.
The opening stand came to an end on the last ball of the eighth over when Shaheen Shah Afridi got De Zorzi caught at first slip.
The left-handed opener scored 21 runs off 18 balls, with the help of three fours and a six.
Bawma was then joined in the middle by the in-form Matthew Bretzke and the two laid a solid foundation for a big total by putting on a 119-run partnership for the second wicket.
The century-plus stand came to an end when Bawma was run out, courtesy of a direct hit from Saud Shakeel.
The South African captain hit 13 fours in his 96-ball 82.
Bretzke shared a 68-run partnership with Klaasen before being bowled by Khushdil Shah in the 39th over.
He scored 83 runs off 84 balls, with the help of 10 fours and a six.
South Africa then suffered another setback to their batting campaign when Afridi dismissed Wien Mulder for two in the very next over.
But Klaasen, unfazed by back-to-back knocks, struck late and took South Africa’s total past 300.
The right-handed batsman finally succumbed in the 48th over after top-scoring for the touring side with 87 off 56 balls, with the help of 11 fours and three sixes.
Afridi was the best bowler for Pakistan, taking two wickets for 66 runs in his 10 overs, while Khushdil and Naseem Shah took one wicket each.
Playing XI
Pakistan: Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (c) (wk), Tayyab Tahir, Salman Agha, Khushdil Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Hasnain, Abrar Ahmed.
South Africa: Matthew Bretzke, Temba Bovuma (c), Tony de Zorzi, Kyle Vereen (wk), Heinrich Klaasen, Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Corbin Bosch, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi, Tabraiz Shamsi.
