The glittering trophy for the three-match ODI series between Pakistan and South Africa unveiled on Monday at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad, marking the return of international cricket to the city after 17 years.
The unveiling ceremony saw Pakistan’s newly appointed ODI captain, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and South African skipper, Matthew Breetzke, jointly reveal the silverware ahead of the series opener on Tuesday, November 4.
The remaining matches will take place on November 6 and 8 at the same venue.
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The toss for the opening game will be held at 2:30 pm local time, with the first ball scheduled for 3:00 pm.
According to PCB press release, the Iqbal Stadium last hosted an international fixture on April 11, 2008, when Pakistan defeated Bangladesh by seven wickets in an ODI.
The historic ground has staged 16 ODIs in total, including four World Cup matches — one in 1987 and three during the 1996 edition.
Pakistan have played 12 ODIs at the venue, winning nine and losing three.
READ: Pakistan vs South Africa ODI Series: H2H, Squads & Where to Watch
South Africa, meanwhile, have featured in five ODIs in Faisalabad, winning two and losing three.
Overall, both sides have faced each other 87 times in ODIs, with South Africa leading the head-to-head 52–34, while one match ended without a result.
In Pakistan, both teams have won eight matches each out of 16.
In Faisalabad specifically, Pakistan and South Africa have met three times — the hosts winning in 1994 and 2007, while the visitors triumphed in 2003.
This series comes on the heels of a competitive tour, where the two-match Test series ended 1-1 and Pakistan claimed the T20I series 2-1, led by a match-winning performance from Babar Azam in the decider at Lahore.
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Taking charge for the first time as ODI captain, Shaheen Shah Afridi expressed his excitement about leading the team and the return of cricket to Faisalabad.
“It is exciting to see international cricket return to Faisalabad after 17 years,” Shaheen said.
“We are looking forward to performing well against South Africa. The team played good cricket in the T20I series and we aim to carry that momentum into the ODIs,” he added.
Among Pakistan’s batters, Babar Azam stands out with 744 runs in 15 ODIs against South Africa, while Shaheen leads the bowling charts among current players with 25 wickets in 13 outings.
Earlier, the Pakistan Cricket Board announced a 16-member squad for the ODI series.
READ: PCB announces Pakistan white-ball squads for South Africa series
Fakhar Zaman returns to the lineup after missing the West Indies series due to injury, while Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, and Haseebullah also make their comebacks.
Abdullah Shafique, Mohammad Haris, Sufiyan Muqeem, and Hasan Ali have been left out.
Pakistan ODI squad:
Shaheen Shah Afridi (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Faisal Akram, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha.
South Africa ODI squad:
Matthew Breetzke (captain), Corbin Bosch, Dewald Brevis, Nandre Burger, Gerald Coetzee, Quinton de Kock, Tony de Zorzi, Donovan Ferreira, Bjorn Fortuin, George Linde, Ottneil Baartman, Lungi Ngidi, Nqaba Peter, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Sinethemba Qeshile
Schedule:
November 4 – First ODI at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad
November 6 – Second ODI at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad
November 8 – Third ODI at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad
