Shaheen, Azam star in Pakistan’s series-clinching win over South Africa
LAHORE, Pakistan: Fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi grabbed three wickets and star batter Babar Azam hit a half-century to guide Pakistan to a four-wicket win over South Africa in the second Twenty20 international. Shaheen took 3-26 to restrict South Africa to 139-9 before Azam’s 47-ball 68 helped Pakistan overhaul the target for the loss of six wickets in 19 overs for a 2-1 series win in Lahore. South Africa won the first match by 55 runs in Rawalpindi while Pakistan took the second by nine wickets, also in Lahore. A full house of 32,000 at Qaddafi Stadium cheered the home boy Azam when he cracked three successive boundaries off Ottniel Baartman to reach his 37th half-century — his first after 13 T20I innings. Azam and Salman Agha lifted Pakistan during a solid 76-run stand for the third wicket after Saim Ayub and Sahibzada Farhan fell by the seventh over. Azam smashed nine boundaries but his dismissal to pacer Corbin Bosch put Pakistan in a spot of bother with Hasan Nawaz and Mohammad Nawaz falling in quick succession. Usman Khan, six not out, hit the winning single. “I am happy at the come-from-behind series win,” said the skipper Agha. “We were 1-0 down so it was a great effort by the players to win the next two.” South African skipper Donovan Ferreira rued his side’s batting. “We lost wickets in clusters and didn’t score much, but credit to the bowlers to keep it tight,” said Ferreira.