Shaheen Afridi attacks Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan in the Press after ODI loss vs South Africa B team

Pakistan National Cricket Team captain Shaheen Afridi has lashed out at the senior batters Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan and sloppy fielding after they lost the second ODI by eight wickets against South Africa on November 6 at Iqbal Cricket Stadium in Faisalabad.

Pakistan’s hopes of sealing the ongoing three-match ODI series were dashed as South Africa chased down 270 with ease to level the series 1-1. After choosing to bat first, Pakistan had a shaky start, slipping to 22/3, before Saim Ayub and Salman Ali Agha steadied things with a 92-run partnership.

Shaheen Afridi left fuming as South Africa crush Pakistan to level ODI series 1-1

Both Ayub (53) and Salman (69) hit half-centuries, helping their side recover from an early blow, as Babar and Rizwan could manage only 11 and 4 runs, respectively, while opener Fakhar Zaman was dismissed for a three-ball duck against South Africa in Faisalabad.

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Later, Mohammad Nawaz’s career-best ODI knock of 59 runs pushed the total to 269, giving Pakistan a fighting chance against South Africa in the second ODI. Notably, Faheem Ashraf also contributed 28 runs off 18 balls in the competitive total after the top order’s failure.

However, the target proved far too small for the Proteas’ in-form batting lineup, and three dropped catches proved too costly for the hosts during their defense. Lhuan-dre Pretorius got them off to a brisk start with a 40-run knock before Quinton de Kock and Tony de Zorzi took control.

The pair added a massive 153-run stand, tearing through Pakistan’s bowling attack. De Kock was at his brilliant best, remaining unbeaten on 123, while De Zorzi smashed a fluent 76 as South Africa wrapped up the chase with almost 10 overs left against the Shaheen Afridi-led Pakistan.

Shaheen Afridi blames Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and poor fielding for Pakistan’s crushing defeat in 2nd ODI

Pakistan bowlers struggled to control the Proteas’ outburst, with only Mohammad Wasim and Faheem Ashraf managing a wicket each.

After the match, Shaheen Afridi admitted that dropped catches cost Pakistan dearly and that the team needed to regroup before the third and final ODI on November 8. Afridi also blamed Rizwan, Fakhar, and Babar for the Men in Green’s defeat in Faisalabad.

Shaheen Afridi said at the post-match presentation, "It's a little bit tough, but I think Saim and Agha did very well, and their partnership helped us a little bit. Three wickets early and then 270—I think that was a good score. Unfortunately, the dropped catches cost us. If you always win, then you can't see what's going on around you. But I think we will come back strongly. We will come back strongly.”

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Pakistan’s costly drops prove expensive in second ODI against South Africa

Notably, Shaheen Afridi-led Pakistan dropped three crucial catches during South Africa’s chase in the second ODI. The first chance came when Naseem Shah almost dismissed Lhuan-dre Pretorius in the 6th over. Pretorius mistimed a slower delivery straight back to the bowler, but Naseem misjudged the pace and ended up dropping a simple return catch.

Later, Quinton de Kock got a lucky break when Mohammad Nawaz failed to hold on at deep backward square leg. De Kock’s flick shot carried perfectly to the fielder, but Nawaz couldn’t keep the ball in his grasp despite getting both hands to it.

The third miss came off Salman Ali Agha’s bowling, when Faheem Ashraf dropped Tony de Zorzi at deep mid-wicket. These missed chances proved costly for Pakistan, as the South African batters made the most of their reprieves to take the game away.