New Delhi: Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan was seen involved in a heated verbal exchange with South Africa wicketkeeper Heinrich Klaasen during the second ODI between the two teams in Cape Town on Thursday. Under Rizwan’s leadership, Pakistan displayed exceptional skill, defeating South Africa by a commanding 81-run margin to clinch the three-match series.
In addition to the impressive cricket displayed by both Pakistan and South Africa, the standout moment of the match was the verbal altercation between Rizwan and Klaasen.
What was the reason?
The incident took place during the 26th over of South Africa’s innings, when the match was still on a knife-edge, with the hosts needing a massive 191 runs to win. Pakistan pacer Haris Rauf bowled a short-pitched delivery to close out the over, and Klaasen let it go through to Rizwan behind the stumps.
Rauf’s bouncer seemed to rile the South African wicketkeeper, leading to a fiery exchange between the two. Watch the video here:
— HaSsan (@finee_leg) December 19, 2024
The confrontation between Klaasen and Rizwan escalated, with both players exchanging heated words. The on-field umpire, along with former Pakistan captain Babar Azam, had to step in to diffuse the situation. The tension gradually subsided, and the match proceeded without further incident.
Pakistan clinched their second consecutive major ODI series victory away from home, thrashing South Africa by 81 runs at Newlands on Thursday. Having defeated Australia 2-1 in November, Pakistan secured a 2-0 lead over the Proteas with one match still to play. Key contributions from Babar, Rizwan, and all-rounder Kamran Ghulam, who all scored fifties, helped Pakistan post a formidable total of 329.
Although Klaasen smashed 97, South Africa’s chase was stifled by Pakistan’s bowlers, with pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi claiming three wickets in three overs to end the last meaningful resistance. Klaasen was the final wicket to fall, dismissed for 248 in the 44th over.
This victory marks Pakistan’s fifth consecutive bilateral ODI series win, putting them in strong form ahead of the Champions Trophy, which they will host in two months.
