Proteas Seek Redemption in Pakistan ODI Series After T20 Stumble

As of November 4th, 2025, the Proteas Men's team is preparing for the series opener against Pakistan in Faisalabad on Tuesday. The team's stand-in ODI captain, Matthew Breetzke, is hoping his squad can start the series on a strong note after a disappointing T20I series.

In the recently concluded T20I series, the Proteas' opening batters struggled to lay a solid foundation, with Quinton de Kock's return to the top order not going as planned. The team lost early wickets in both Lahore encounters, putting the rest of the lineup under pressure.

Breetzke is confident that the Proteas' ODI batting lineup, which features similar personnel to the T20I squad, will perform better in the longer format. He acknowledged that the opening pair's struggles in the T20Is were challenging, but believes they will "come good" with the extra time afforded in the ODI format.

Meanwhile, Pakistan's batting unit has rediscovered its form, with star batter Babar Azam leading the charge. Azam, who is just one century short of matching former opener Saeed Anwar's record of 20 ODI centuries, poses a significant threat to the Proteas. Breetzke is aware of Azam's prowess and has said the team has "come up with plans to hopefully stop him from scoring runs."

The three-match ODI series will mark the return of international cricket to Faisalabad after 17 years, and Breetzke believes the fervent support for the hosts will motivate his team to perform at their best and "keep them quiet for as long as possible."