The game between Pakistan and South Africa on Friday was possibly the best game of the tournament so far. It had everything in it, and in the end, South Africa held its nerves to come out victorious. This defeat has pushed Pakistan virtually out of the competition.
On the other hand, South Africa has jumped to the top of the table with ten points and is looking pretty good for a place in the semi-finals. However, it was a close game that could have gone in Pakistan’s favor if a few umpiring decisions had gone their way.
But eventually, South Africa won by one wicket despite a great fightback by the Pakistani bowlers. It was a heartbreak for the Pakistani fans. And to even make it worse, ace pacer Shaheen Afridi was seen crying in the dugout after the defeat. The video is circulating on the internet, and everyone is talking about it.
Sorry Shaheen Afridi i Was Wrong about you 🙏pic.twitter.com/cgjyaJ1JVj
— 𝗕𝗮𝗯𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰 (@Babaristic) October 28, 2023
At one stage, it looked like South Africa would chase it down easily. But some quick wickets in the middle pulled things back for the Men in Green. South Africa took its ninth wicket at 260 runs, with another 11 runs to win. But Keshav Maharaj showed calmness and took his team to victory.
Earlier in the innings, Aiden Markram made the major contributions and scored 91 off 93 balls, with seven fours and three sixes. Shaheen Afridi bowled well for his 3/45, while Haris Rauf, Mohammad Wasim Jr., and Usama Mir took two wickets each.
This was fourth successive defeat for Pakistan in this tournament. It was the first time that they had lost four World Cup games on the trot in their history. South Africa also registered their highest successful World Cup chase against Pakistan. Babar Azam (50) and Saud Shakeel (52) scored half-centuries, but it went in vain eventually.
