On Friday, October 27, the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai was the stage for a thrilling cricket encounter between Pakistan and South Africa. In a match that kept fans on the edge of their seats, South Africa narrowly secured a one-wicket win.
Choosing to bat first, Pakistan managed to put up a commendable 270 runs in 46.4 overs, with standout performances from Babar Azam and Saud Shakeel. In response, South Africa encountered multiple hurdles but managed to chase down the target in 47.2 overs. Aiden Markram's stellar innings of 91 runs laid the foundation for the Proteas. However, the game's most intense moments came when South Africa was teetering at 260/9 before Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi guided them to the finish line.
Post-match, in a conversation with A Sports, cricket legend Wasim Akram highlighted a tactical error by Pakistan's captain, Babar Azam, which he believes contributed to their defeat against the red-hot Proteas. Akram questioned the decision to let Mohammad Nawaz bowl the decisive over, especially when Keshav Maharaj hit the match-winning boundary off him.
"They almost turned it around... But there were a few missteps, in my view. Nawaz was handed the last over, yet everyone seemed keen to target him, even though Usama (Mir) had two overs remaining. After claiming two wickets, he seemed to be in better form," Akram commented on the Pakistani program 'The Pavilion'.
"He led well, but I can't fathom why Nawaz was the choice in that crucial moment. He seemed to lack self-belief, and that was a glaring oversight by our skipper," Akram further elaborated.
This setback for Pakistan is unprecedented, marking the first instance of them facing four back-to-back losses in World Cup tournaments. On the other hand, South Africa's triumph catapulted them to the top of the World Cup leaderboard, overtaking India, while Pakistan's slide landed them in the sixth spot with a mere four points.
Up next, Pakistan will square off against Bangladesh on October 31, while South Africa gears up to face New Zealand on November 1.
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