JOIN USMohammad Hafeez’s blazing half-century and Umar Gul’s five-wicket haul helped Pakistan to a convincing 95-run victory over South Africa and clinch the two-match T20 international series at the Supersport Park here on Sunday.
Chasing a massive 196 for victory, the Proteas were bowled out for 100 in 12.2 overs with Gul scalping 5/6 and Hafeez picking 3/25.
Earlier, Mohammad Hafeez put a poor Test series behind him with a superb innings of 86.
Hafeez’s career-best effort enabled Pakistan to score an imposing 195 for seven in what was effectively a series decider after the first match in Durban was washed out.
Appointed Pakistan’s captain in the shortest form of the game, Hafeez thrashed four sixes and nine fours off 50 balls. When he was on 73 he became the first Pakistani to reach 1000 runs in T20 internationals.
His innings was in dramatic contrast to his struggles in a three-match Test series which ended last week in which he could score only 43 runs in six innings at an average of 7.16 A second wicket partnership of 83 off 48 balls with Ahmed Shehzad set Pakistan on target.
Score board
PAKISTAN
Jamshed c Ontong b Tsotsobe1 3
Shehzad (run out) 46
Hafeez (hit wicket) Kleinveldt 86
U Akmal c Du Plessis b Morris 11
Malik c Miller b Kleinveldt 7
Afridi (not out) 19
K Akmal c Ontong b Morris 1
Gul c Behardien b Abbott 1
Ajmal (not out) 0
Extras (LB-6, W-5) 11
Total (for 7 wkts, 20 overs) 195
Fall of wickets: 1-28, 2-112, 3-155, 4-170, 5-171, 6-174, 7-190.
Bowling: Abbott 4-0-41-1, Tsotsobe 4-0-28-1, Kleinveldt 4-0-27-2, Morris 4-0-35-2, Peterson 2-0-26-0, Ontong 2-0-32-0.
SOUTH AFRICA
De Villiers b Irfan 36
Davids c Ajmal b Junaid 7
Du Plessis c K Akmal b Gul 6
Morris c Ajmal b Gul 0
Ontong lbw Gul 0
Behardien c Shehzad b Gul 0
Miller c Shehzad b Hafeez 9
Peterson c Afridi b Hafeez 1
Kleinveldt c U Akmal b Hafeez 22
Abbott c K Akmal b Gul 2
Tsotsobe (not out) 0
Extras (LB-1, W-4) 5
Total (all out, 12.2 overs) 100
Fall of wickets: 1-20, 2-50, 3-50, 4-51, 5-53, 6-53, 7-67, 8-98, 9-98.
Bowling: Irfan 3-0-27-1, Junaid 2-0-22-1, Gul 2.2-0-6-5, Hafeez 3-0-25-3, Ajmal 2-0-19-0.