The Pakistan cricket team has arrived in Centurion from Durban to prepare for the second T20 International match against South Africa.
The team will begin preparations today for the crucial match, scheduled to take place tomorrow. Pakistan is looking to bounce back after an 11-run defeat in the first T20I.
South Africa claimed an 11-run victory over Pakistan in the first T20I at Kingsmead, Durban, with George Linde and David Miller delivering standout performances.
David Miller's explosive 82 off 40 and George Linde's all-round brilliance (48 off 24, 4/21) powered South Africa to a thrilling 11-run win over Pakistan. Despite Shaheen Afridi (3-22) and Abrar Ahmed (3-37) keeping South Africa at 183/9, Pakistan's chase faltered. Mohammad Rizwan's slow start (74 off 62) and middle-order struggles left too much for the final overs. Debutant Kwena Maphaka's clutch dismissal of Rizwan in the last over sealed the win for South Africa.
Despite the loss, the opening match witnessed a remarkable milestone for Shaheen Afridi, who became the third Pakistani bowler to claim 100 wickets in T20 Internationals. Notably, Shaheen also achieved the distinction of being the first Pakistani player to take 100 wickets across all three formats of international cricket.
Pakistan will aim to improve its performance in the upcoming match and level the three-match series against the Proteas.