It was Maphaka versus Babar Azam—first a caught-behind appeal, followed by a dramatic dismissal in the deep. The drama began in the opening over when Kwena Maphaka bowled the sixth ball, which appeared to have brushed Babar’s bat, prompting both the bowler and wicketkeeper to appeal.
After a review, it was clear that the ball had missed the bat but had made contact with Babar’s hip before reaching Henrich Klassen’s gloves.
In Maphaka’s very next over, the third of the innings, he brought Babar back on strike by giving Mohammad Rizwan a run. The stage was set, with Andile Simelane stationed deep for a potential catch. On the third ball, Maphaka bowled a short delivery outside off, and Babar attempted an uppercut.
Initially moving back, Babar misjudged the shot, and Simelane dived forward to take a stunning catch, dismissing Babar for a duck.
South Africa hosted Pakistan for the first T20I of their three-match series at Kingsmead, Durban, on December 10, where the hosts triumphed by 11 runs. South Africa won the toss and chose to bat. Thanks to David Miller’s 78 and George Linde’s 48, the Proteas posted a total of 180 after losing 9 wickets.
Shaheen Afridi and Abrar Ahmed were the standout bowlers for Pakistan, each taking 3 wickets, while Abbas Afridi and Sufiyan Muqeem claimed one each.
In reply, Pakistan’s captain Mohammad Rizwan top-scored with 74 runs off 62 balls, while Saim Ayub contributed 31 runs from 15 balls.
— PCT Replays 💚 (@PCTReplays) December 10, 2024
However, Pakistan was bowled out for 172 runs, with George Linde taking 4 wickets for just 21 runs from 4 overs. Maphaka claimed 2 wickets, while Ottniel Baartman and Simelane took one each. Linde was named the Player of the Match for his all-round performance.