Rizwan hails team spirit after historic SA whitewash
Pakistan’s white-ball captain, Mohammad Rizwan, expressed pride and gratitude after leading his team to a historic 3-0 ODI series whitewash against South Africa. Speaking at the post-match conference, Rizwan praised the collective efforts of the team and emphasized the significance of the achievement.
“This is always a proud moment. The nation expects such performances from us, and we are happy to deliver. The whole team gave their best, especially in the second ODI, where it was a perfect team effort,” Rizwan said.
Acknowledging the challenges of playing away from home, Rizwan credited the players’ unity and trust in one another for their success. He also spoke about Saim Ayub’s remarkable form without overpraising the young opener.
“It’s never easy playing outside your country. But the guys trusted each other. (About Saim Ayub) I don’t want to overpraise him, but we trust his talent and believe in his potential,” Rizwan added.
He highlighted the difficulty of facing strong opponents like South Africa and Australia, pointing out how teamwork and focus were critical to overcoming these challenges.
“South Africa is always a tough challenge, and Australia is no different. But our team stayed united and focused on what was needed. Across the three ODIs, Allah helped us through tough moments, and that’s why we succeeded,” he concluded.
In the series-deciding third ODI, Pakistan secured a 36-run victory by defending a strong total of 308/9. Saim Ayub shone with a brilliant 101 off 94 balls, supported by half-centuries from Babar Azam (52) and Rizwan himself (53). Agha Salman also contributed with a quickfire 48 to boost the team’s total.
During South Africa’s chase, Heinrich Klaasen threatened with a blistering 81 off 43 balls, alongside Corbin Bosch’s 40. However, Pakistan’s bowlers rose to the occasion, dismissing the hosts for 271 in 42 overs.
Sufiyan Muqeem led the bowling attack with figures of 4/52, while Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah claimed two wickets each. Mohammad Hasnain and Saim Ayub also chipped in with a wicket apiece.
This series marked a historic milestone for Pakistan, as they became the first team to whitewash South Africa in a bilateral ODI series on their home soil.
The victory also bolsters Rizwan’s record as Pakistan’s captain. It was his third consecutive ODI series win, following a 2-1 triumph over Australia—their first on Australian soil since 2002—and a 2-1 victory against Zimbabwe earlier this month.
