South Africa and Pakistan have one of the fiercest rivalries in cricket, featuring fast bowlers like Kagiso Rabada in Test cricket as well as legendary batsmen such as Babar Azam in One Day Internationals (ODIs). This pakistan national cricket team vs south africa national cricket team timeline captures key moments and trends such as Kagiso Rabada’s Test hauls or Babar Azam’s ODI centuries.
This match highlighted South Africa’s dominance, especially under Jansen’s CT form. Additionally, SA’s middle-order depth came into its own against disciplined bowling attacks.
Date | Venue | Result | Series Status |
---|---|---|---|
Dec 17, 2024 | Boland Park, Paarl | Pakistan won by 3 wickets (target 240) | Pakistan lead 1-0 |
Dec 19, 2024 | Newlands, Cape Town | Pakistan won by 81 runs | Pakistan lead 2-0 |
Dec 22, 2024 | Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg | Pakistan won by 36 runs (DLS method, target 308) | Pakistan win series 3-0 |
Feb 12, 2025 | National Stadium, Karachi | Pakistan won by 6 wickets (chased 352) | Tri-Nation Series match |
Feb 14, 2025 | National Stadium, Karachi | South Africa won by 11 runs (target 184) | Tri-Nation Series match |
1. Tests
Pakistan and South Africa’s rivalry is one of the most intriguing in world cricket. Both sides boast long histories of competing against each other in Tests and ODIs, producing some of the greatest fast bowlers ever seen on an ODI pitch. Both sides have battled through bilateral series as well as World Cup encounters that have produced unforgettable fast bowlers over time. Over time their rivalry has developed into an intense, competitive struggle made even more thrilling by strong squads developed to ensure future games will only become more riveting!
Since first meeting in 1982, these two teams have played 30 Test matches against each other in Tests. Of those matches, Pakistan have won six times while South Africa have emerged victorious on 17 occasions with seven ending up as draws.
Pakistan and South Africa last met in a Test at Newlands in 2024, in a high-scoring match that Pakistan won by eight wickets. Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam shared an unbeaten partnership of 151 runs that enabled them to chase down 189 runs for victory with just over three overs remaining on the card. Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje did their part to restrict Pakistan batting but in an exciting finish, Rizwan’s heroics secured victory for Pakistan.
Pakistan’s Test players enter this series having only played one round of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy prior to it, giving them only limited red-ball match practice. Mohammad Rizwan in particular faces an uphill task as their stand-in wicketkeeper; having only experienced first class cricket once over the past ten weeks (during a rain-affected round of Quaid-e-Azam Trophy). With Fakhar Zaman and Azhar Ali also involved, there will be much at stake when these teams meet once more when they meet up once more in Abu Dhabi.
2. ODIs
South Africa and Pakistan have emerged as two of the most captivating teams to watch when they clash in One-Day Internationals (ODIs). Their rivalry has produced many dramatic moments – from Allan Donald’s fiery spells to Fakhar Zaman’s record-breaking innings – making their ODI encounters thrilling affairs where chances could easily shift either way up until the last over is completed.
Over time, this matchup has evolved into an intensely competitive and skillful battle that has delighted audiences worldwide. From World Cup encounters to intense bilateral series matches, this legendary rivalry has always provided something exciting. And with both sides now experiencing transitions as they develop squads of emerging and veteran expertise – its future looks promising indeed!
ODI matches feature powerful batsmen and quick bowlers from both teams who create thrilling matches by dominating batsmen and quick bowlers, giving fans a thrilling experience as wickets fall quickly while runs increase steadily throughout an innings. In typical ODI games, fans will experience exciting moments of great batting, incredible fielding skills and thrilling twists and turns as a thrilling fan experience unfolds before them. In a typical match-up, wickets fall quickly before runs begin piling up as soon as innings progresses further into play – an experience fans won’t soon forget!
South Africa and Pakistan have enjoyed a longstanding rivalry across all forms of cricket for many years, dating back to 1991 when their first Test match took place during the Benson & Hedges Cup in Johannesburg. South Africa demonstrated their post-isolation cricketing strength with an emphatic 324 run win by Kepler Wessels and Graeme Smith and showed that they could overcome any challenger.
Since then, the Proteas have enjoyed their share of victories and losses against Pakistan. While they generally possess an edge against them in most formats, neutral venues and global events remain tough contests where both teams boast young and experienced talent that make for fascinating contests. In ODIs particularly, both teams boast impressive talent pool that makes the matchup truly exciting!
3. T20Is
Since South Africa returned to international cricket following a 22-year exile, their teams have clashed in numerous intense matches and memorable moments. Their rivalry is marked by mutual respect mixed with healthy competition across all codecs – Tests, ODIs and T20Is alike.
Pakistan crushed South Africa 324-1 at their first meeting in Johannesburg. Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan shared an unbroken 151-run partnership that saw Rizwan display his modern batting prowess over shorter formats. Allan Donald and Graeme Smith made important contributions with the ball, taking five wickets between them for Proteas.
The second match was an equally tight contest, with South Africa emerging victorious by just six runs. Both sides struggled in the powerplay overs but South African batsmen made better use of any opportunities that arose in the final overs.
Pakistan can take much from this tour despite their defeat; their batsmen Azam and Rizwan are still performing well while Shaheen Afridi’s impressive bowling performance will give confidence to their bowlers.
South Africa are an experienced team, boasting both talent and experience. While their Proteas may need to improve their consistency in T20I series at home, they remain one of the world’s premier sides when it comes to bilateral T20I tournaments – hoping that players like David Miller, Quinton de Kock and Chris Morris can help turn this challenge into something positive – it would be a win-win scenario!
4. T20I series
Pakistan and South Africa national cricket teams have a long-standing rivalry that features intense competition in all forms of the game, from T20 bowling to Test match play. Both sides boast some of the world’s premier players such as Babar Azam who boasts an exceptional batting average across formats; Shaheen Afridi stands out due to his explosive pace making him one of the premier T20 bowlers worldwide.
Pakistan and South Africa met in an exciting contest during the 2024 ICC Champions Trophy that showcased both teams playing some excellent cricket. While Pakistan struggled at first, their batting and bowling improved over the round robin stage to win five matches including an upset against New Zealand in semi-final play as well as their final victory over England.
Pakistan’s batting was impressive throughout the tournament, yet their bowling performance ultimately secured them victory in the final. Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje excelled in bowling death overs, while Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan held firm under pressure batting to help secure an historic win for Pakistan.
As Pakistan and South Africa prepare to face off in their T20I series, both teams will aim to improve on their performances from this tournament. With both sides at similar stages of development, this series promises to be exciting and engaging for fans; Pakistan could play to its home advantage while South Africa hopes to leverage off improved away form to create fiercely competitive contests between them.
5. Test series
South Africa and Pakistan’s rivalry has always been fraught with tension, as Proteas’ systematic grind meets Shaheens’ instinctive genius. From World Cup matches to bilateral series matches, SA-Pak clashes never fail to excite, with controversial cases of match fixing only making victories all the sweeter.
Even in times of contention, both teams continue to progress. Wasim Akram’s swing magic devastated South Africa’s batting during the 1990s; but they hit back under Hansie Cronje and Jonty Rhodes captaincy and Jonty Rhodes’ electric fielding in subsequent decades. By contrast, in 2000 there was no clear dominator, while 2010s brought about exciting T20I matches such as Reeza Hendricks’ 76 in Johannesburg or Fakhar Zaman’s 57 at Cardiff.
Test cricketers from both sides have historically been evenly matched, with South Africa only ever winning three out of three series between 2012-2013 and 2015. SA’s three-match whitewash included an astonishing 149 from Jacques Kallis and an unbeaten 107 by Hashim Amla which marked one of the greatest series ever witnessed by this rivalry.
Recent T20Is have demonstrated this balance, with both teams showing off their best. At Newlands in December 2024, Kagiso Rabada’s three wickets limited the visitors to 156/7 before Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan won it with 13 balls remaining for Pakistan – showing their modern batting prowess in this format. Meanwhile at Centurion during that same series Hendricks and Miller’s 71-run stand demonstrated South African finishing skills honing from CT 2025 CT 2025 series; both sets of players intend on capitalising on these positives when taking this series into Johannesburg next week.