Home / Sports / Pakistan Defeats Depleted South Africa in ODI Opener
Pakistan Defeats Depleted South Africa in ODI Opener
4 Nov
Summary
- Pakistan captain Shaheen Shah Afridi wins toss, elects to field
- South Africa missing 7 key white-ball players, awards ODI debuts
- Quinton de Kock returns to ODI squad after reversing retirement
On November 1, 2025, Pakistan won the toss and decided to field first against South Africa in the opening one-day international (ODI) match. The South African team was significantly weakened, missing their captain Temba Bavuma and seven other key white-ball players. As a result, the visitors awarded ODI debuts to batters Sinethemba Qeshile and Lhuan-dre Pretorius, as well as all-rounder Donovan Ferreira.
However, South Africa's top order received a boost with the return of opening batter Quinton de Kock, who had reversed his ODI retirement last month. On the other hand, Pakistan included wicket-keeper batter Mohammad Rizwan in their playing XI after sacking him from the ODI captaincy just last month. Fakhar Zaman also returned to the team after skipping the preceding Twenty20 series against the Proteas, which Pakistan won 2-1.
The match is being played in Faisalabad, which is hosting international cricket for the first time in 17 years. The city will also host the other two ODIs in this series on November 3 and 5.
