Pakistan beat SA by 8 wickets in 4th ODI to level 5-match series 2-2

Speed Post News Network

Patna : Pakistan beat South Africa (SA) by 8 wickets in the 4th ODI at The Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa, on January 27, 2019, to level the five-match ODI series 2-2. Left arm fast bowler Usman Khan, 24, was named Player of the Match for taking 4/35 in 7 overs. Fast bowler Shaheen Afridi and spinner Shadab Khan took two wickets each while Mohammad Amir and spinner Imad Wasim took one wicket each. Pakistan won the toss but opted to bowl.

Batting first, South Africa were all out for 164 in 41 overs with opener Hashim Amla scoring 59 in 75 balls with 7 fours and captain Faf du Plessis scoring 57 in 76 balls with 5 fours and a six. Rassie van der Dussen scored 18 while opener and wicketkeep Quinton de Kock was out for duck. David Miller fell to fast bowler Mohammad Amir for 4 while Andile Phehlukwayo made 11. Reeza Hendricks fell to Shaheen Afridi for 2.

Pakistan scored 168/2 in 31.3 overs with opener Imam-ul-Haq scoring 71 in 91 balls with 6 fours and a six and his opening partner Fakhar Zaman scoring 44 in 44 balls with 7 fours. Babar Azam remained unbeaten on 41 in 53 balls with 2 fours.

Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik described Shaheen Afridi as an exceptional talent. Malik was asked to lead the side after entering the ground. This followed suspension of incumbent Sarfraz Ahmed for 4 matches by the ICC in the wake of his racist remarks against South Africa player Andile Phehlukwayo on the ground during an ODI match in the series recently.