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Former Pakistan captain Mohammad Hafeez did not hold back after the national team’s 55-run defeat to South Africa in the opening T20I at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
Hafeez criticised the T20I team, stating that the issue was not the pitch but the quality of cricket being played.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Hafeez drew a sharp comparison between the two sides, hinting that Pakistan’s struggles were rooted in execution and consistency rather than surface conditions.
“Nothing wrong with Pindi pitch, but the obvious difference is the standard of cricket. #PAKvSA. International league vs International team,” Hafeez posted.
His remark came after South Africa dominated Pakistan in all departments, led by Corbin Bosch’s fiery spell and Reeza Hendricks’s composed half-century.
Batting first, the visitors posted 194 for 7, with Hendricks anchoring the innings with 60 off 40 balls, laced with five boundaries and a six.
George Linde chipped in with a brisk 36 from 22 deliveries, while Tony de Zorzi (33) and Quinton de Kock (23) added valuable contributions.
Mohammad Nawaz stood out with the ball for Pakistan, claiming three wickets for just 26 runs, while Saim Ayub picked up two.
Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Abrar Ahmed took one apiece.
In response, Pakistan faltered early and never recovered. Saim Ayub top-scored with 37 off 28 balls, hitting four sixes, while Nawaz provided late resistance with a 20-ball 36.
Sahibzada Farhan made 24 off 19, but none of the top-order batters could anchor the innings.
Babar Azam’s much-anticipated T20I comeback ended abruptly, as the former captain fell for a second-ball duck to Bosch in the sixth over.
Bosch was the pick of the bowlers for South Africa with 4 for 24, while George Linde and Williams added three and two wickets respectively, sealing a commanding win for the visitors and a 1-0 lead in the series.
READ: Babar Azam bags unwanted record with duck against South Africa
