In his ODI debut, the left-arm spinner claimed remarkable figures of 4/52, joining an elite list of Pakistan spinners with the best bowling figures on debut. He became the fourth Pakistan spinner to achieve this feat
Pakistan's emerging star, Sufiyan Muqeem, made an unforgettable debut in the third and final ODI against South Africa in Johannesburg on Sunday, achieving an impressive bowling performance.
In his ODI debut, the left-arm spinner claimed remarkable figures of 4/52, joining an elite list of Pakistan spinners with the best bowling figures on debut. He became the fourth Pakistan spinner to achieve this feat, following in the footsteps of:
Abdul Qadir: 4/21 vs New Zealand, 1983
Abrar Ahmed: 4/33 vs Zimbabwe, 2024
Sufiyan Muqeem: 4/52 vs South Africa, 2024
Faisal Akram: 3/24 vs Zimbabwe, 2024
In addition, two Pakistani pacers also made their mark with debut performances:
Zakir Khan: 4/19 vs New Zealand, 1984
Sarfaraz Nawaz: 4/46 vs New Zealand, 1973
In the match, Pakistan posted a competitive total of 308/9, thanks to a brilliant century from Saim Ayub, who scored 101 off 94 balls. Contributions from skipper Babar Azam (52), Mohammad Rizwan (53), and Agha Salman (48) bolstered Pakistan’s total.
South Africa's chase, led by Heinrich Klaasen's explosive 81 off 43 balls and Corbin Bosch's fighting 40, was cut short as Pakistan’s bowlers proved too strong, dismissing the hosts for 271 in 42 overs.
Sufiyan Muqeem was the standout bowler, claiming four vital wickets. Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah also made significant contributions, taking two wickets each, while Mohammad Hasnain and Saim Ayub picked up one wicket each.
Pakistan won the match by 36 runs, securing a historic whitewash over South Africa in a bilateral ODI series at home. This victory also marked a significant milestone for captain Mohammad Rizwan, who earned his third consecutive ODI series win. Rizwan’s captaincy journey began with a historic 2-1 series win against Australia earlier this year—their first victory on Australian soil since 2002—followed by another 2-1 win against Zimbabwe earlier this month.