Cricket in South Africa just feels different. The bounce is steeper, the wind at Kingsmead has a bite to it, and the ball travels like a tracer bullet once it clears the infield. When the Pakistan tour of South Africa kicked off in December 2024, nobody really knew what to expect from a side that had been, frankly, all over the place.
The drama didn't disappoint.
The Durban Heartbreak: 1st T20I (December 10, 2024)
Durban's Kingsmead has a reputation. It's usually a seamer's paradise, but David Miller clearly didn't get the memo. Coming in when the Proteas were wobbling at 28-3, Miller played an innings that felt less like cricket and more like a personal vendetta against the white kookaburra. He smashed 82 off just 40 balls. It was vintage "Killer Miller," sending eight sixes into the humid night air.
South Africa ended up with 183-9, which felt about 20 runs too many for a Pakistan side that often struggles with steep chases.
Shaheen Shah Afridi did his thing, though. He bagged 3-22 and reached the milestone of 100 T20I wickets, joining an elite club. But the real story was George Linde. The guy missed the team bus to the stadium—seriously—and then showed up to score 48 and take 4-21.
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Pakistan fell 11 runs short. Mohammad Rizwan batted like a man possessed, scoring 74, but he just couldn't find a partner to stay with him during the death overs. One minute they were cruising, the next, George Linde was on a hat-trick and the Pakistani middle order had vanished into the Durban mist.
Reeza’s Redemption at SuperSport Park (December 13, 2024)
If you thought 183 was a big score, Centurion said, "Hold my drink."
Pakistan actually looked brilliant in the first half of the second T20I. Saim Ayub, a kid who bats with the swagger of a 100-test veteran, absolutely dismantled the South African attack. He was 98 not out at the end of the 20 overs. Honestly, it was a bit tragic he didn't get those last two runs for the century, but his 206-5 total seemed like a match-winning score.
Then Reeza Hendricks happened.
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You’ve probably seen Hendricks have "good" days, but this was a "once-in-a-lifetime" day. He didn't just score a century; he hammered 117 off 63 balls. He and Rassie van der Dussen (66) made a 207-run target look like a casual Sunday afternoon net session.
South Africa chased it down with three balls to spare. 2-0. Series over.
The Johannesburg Washout and Beyond
The third match at the Wanderers was supposed to be the "Pink Day" style celebration, but the Johannesburg weather had other ideas. Lightning, drizzle, and eventually a full-blown downpour meant the match was abandoned without a single ball being bowled.
South Africa took the series 2-0.
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What the Stats Don't Tell You
- Heinrich Klaasen’s Retirement: This series was the last time we saw Heinrich Klaasen in a T20I jersey before his retirement announcement. He crossed 1,000 career runs during the second game, a quiet milestone for a guy who has been a absolute nightmare for bowlers globally.
- The Saim Ayub Factor: Even though Pakistan lost, Saim Ayub finished as the leading run-scorer for his side (129 runs). People keep comparing him to the greats, and on this tour, he actually looked the part.
- George Linde’s Impact: He finished with 5 wickets in just two games. He wasn't even the first name on the team sheet for many pundits, but he ended up being the MVP of the first encounter.
Actionable Insights for the Next Tour
If you're betting on or analyzing the upcoming 2025/26 fixtures, keep these tactical shifts in mind. Pakistan's pace attack, led by Shaheen and Haris Rauf, is world-class, but their "anchoring" style of batting in the middle overs is getting punished on flat South African tracks.
The Proteas, meanwhile, have found a gem in Kwena Maphaka. The 18-year-old took the wicket of Babar Azam in the first T20I and didn't look back. Watch for him to become a permanent fixture in their white-ball setup.
The biggest takeaway? Don't let the run rate drop below 10 in the middle overs at Centurion. If you do, players like Hendricks and Miller will eat you alive.
To stay ahead of the next series, start tracking the domestic form of South Africa's emerging pacers in the SA20 league, as the national selectors are clearly leaning into that talent pool for their T20I squads.