'Miller took game away from us'

Mohammad Rizwan opens up about first T20I defeat against South Africa

Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan opened up following his team's narrow 11-run defeat to South Africa in the first T20I at Kingsmead, Durban.

Rizwan highlighted key moments that shifted the game in South Africa's favor while expressing optimism for the remainder of the series.

Speaking about the loss, Rizwan stated, "Lot of positives. The innings from Miller and Linde took the momentum away from us. The counterattack from Miller took the momentum as we had started well by picking early wickets. The spinners bowled very well; they used the pitch and conditions well. There are a lot of positives, and hopefully, we do well in the next match" he stated.

The match saw South Africa post a challenging total of 183/9, with David Miller scoring a scintillating 82 off 40 balls and George Linde adding a quickfire 48 off 24. Rizwan acknowledged the impact of these innings, particularly Miller's counterattack after Pakistan managed to remove early wickets.

While batting, Pakistan's batters were unable to chase the target, as George Linde took 4 crucial wickets to secure the win for South Africa.

Despite the defeat, Rizwan praised the efforts of Pakistan's spinners, Abrar Ahmed and Sufiyan Muqeem, who exploited the conditions effectively to pick crucial wickets. He expressed confidence in the team's ability to bounce back in the second T20I, scheduled for Friday, December 13, in Centurion.

Klaasen praises team effort

South Africa captain Heinrich Klaasen shared his thoughts following his team's thrilling 11-run victory over Pakistan in the first T20I at Kingsmead, Durban. Klaasen acknowledged the team's imperfections but praised individual performances that played a crucial role in securing the win.

Speaking to the media, Klaasen remarked, "I wouldn't say it was a great performance, but a couple of guys stepped up. There are small margins in cricket, pleased we didn't bomb up after losing wickets early. Those three youngsters Peter, Maphaka, and Simelane, along with Georgy (Linde), had a great game. He (Miller) had a fantastic game. He has been working really hard, and may it continue for long. Looking forward to all three games" he said.

The match saw South Africa recover from early setbacks, thanks to a counterattacking 82 off 40 balls by David Miller and a quickfire 48 off 24 by George Linde. Klaasen praised their contributions, highlighting Miller's consistency and the all-around impact of Linde, who was later named Player of the Match for his dual efforts with bat (48 runs) and ball (4-21).

Klaasen also commended the three youngsters in the playing XI—Nqaba Peter, Kwena Maphaka, and Andile Simelane—who showed composure under pressure. Debutant Maphaka impressed by defending 19 runs in the final over, including the crucial wicket of Mohammad Rizwan.

The South African skipper emphasized the importance of building momentum as the series progresses and expressed excitement about the remaining games.

The second T20I is set to take place on Friday, December 13, at Centurion, followed by the final T20I game on December 14 in Johannesburg. South Africa leads the three-match series 1-0.

Shehzad furious

Test cricketer Ahmed Shehzad has expressed his disappointment with Pakistan's batting approach following their defeat in the first T20I against South Africa in Durban.

Taking to his official X account, he did not hold back in his criticism of Pakistan's performance. "Close but not good enough. Pakistan cricket team not learning from their past mistakes," Shehzad wrote. He highlighted the team's failure to capitalize on their opportunities in both bowling and batting.

"Firstly, letting South Africa to 180+ from where they were in the game was unbelievable, and then how we went to chase about this target was bizarre from the beginning," Shehzad added.

The cricketer attributed the loss to a lack of intent and poor strike rotation during the chase. He also called on the senior players to step up and lead by example rather than relying on the younger players. "Too many dot balls & lack of intent in the chase cost us what could have been a victory for Pakistan. Seniors should be leading from the front, not hiding behind youngsters," he said.

Despite the defeat, Shehzad acknowledged the positive performances from Saim Ayub, Shaheen Afridi, and Abrar Ahmed. Shaheen and Abrar both claimed three wickets each, while Saim's quick-fire innings stood out in an otherwise lackluster batting display.