PAK vs SA: Top performers from the T20I series
After a nerve-sapping opening game that Pakistan won courtesy Mohammad Rizwan and Usman Qadir’s heroics, South Africa drew level thanks to a fifer from Dwaine Pretorius. In an evenly fought series, Pakistan came back strongly to clinch the decider by 4 wickets to record their 100th T20I victory and only T20I series win over South Africa.
Let us take a look at the five top performers of the series:
5. Usman Qadir (Pakistan) – 4 wickets
Giving away only 76 runs in the 11 overs that Usman Qadir bowled in three matches, he bagged four wickets at an economy rate of 6.91. Qadir played a crucial role in the team’s victory in the first T20I, where he claimed two crucial wickets at the apt time to break South Africa’s momentum. The hosts managed to edge out the visitors by merely three runs to take a 1-0 series lead.
4. David Miller (South Africa) – 116 runs and 4 catches
Half-century for David Miller ?
This has been a fighting knock from the Proteas batsman, and it’s helped take South Africa past 130. #PAKvSA pic.twitter.com/EX6nmLhU1Z
— ICC (@ICC) February 14, 2021
David Miller is the most experienced campaigner in South Africa’s fairly young and inexperienced unit. After two quiet outings in the middle, his talismanic knock of 85 off 45 in the decider dragged his team out took his team to 164/8 after Pakistan reduced them to 65/7 at one stage. Miller finished as the highest scorer for South Africa with 116 runs and grabbed four catches behind the stumps.
3. Dwaine Pretorius (South Africa) – 6 wickets
With six wickets in the series at an average of 10.50, Dwaine Pretorius tied with his counterpart Shamsi in the wickets tally. However, five of those six scalps came in the second game where Pretorius’ effort played an instrumental role in the Proteas’ attempt at levelling the series. He claimed 5/17, which is both the best bowling T20I figures for South Africa and the best bowling performance by any T20I bowler against Pakistan.
2. Tabraiz Shamsi (South Africa) – 6 wickets
Tabraiz Shamsi’s four-wicket haul in the third and last T20I went in vain. But he ended as the joint-highest wicket-taker for South Africa in the series alongside Pretorius, finishing with six wickets at an average of 10.17. Giving away only 61 runs in the 12 overs he bowled, his economy rate of 5.08 was the best amongst both sides.
1. Mohammad Rizwan (Pakistan) – 197 runs
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) February 14, 2021
Carrying his good form from the Test series, Mohammad Rizwan accumulated 197 runs at a whopping average of 98.50. He fought alone in the first T20I with his 104* playing a pivotal role in Pakistan’s victory. Rizwan followed his century with scores of 51 and 42 and accounted for 40.87% runs of the entire team in the series. During his brilliant run of form, the wicketkeeper-batsman became the first Pakistan player to record three consecutive 50-plus scores in T20Is.
