Pakistan fast bowler Umar Gul took 5 wickets for just 6 runs and skipper Mohammad Hafeez smashed a career-best 86 off 51 balls to lead the visiting team to a 95-run victory over South Africa in the decisive second Twenty20 match on Sunday.
Hafeez's scintillating knock inspired Pakistan to 195-7 and Gul scalped four top order wickets in the space of six balls at SuperSport Park as South Africa was bowled out for 100 in 12.2 overs, its lowest ever Twenty20 international score.
Pakistan emerged victorious in the two-match series 1-0 after the first Twenty20 at Durban was washed out on Friday.
Gul, now the world's leading wicket-taker in Twenty20 internationals with 74, got rid of captain Faf du Plessis (6), Chris Morris (0) and Justin Ontong (0) in his first over. Farhan Beherdien (0) was cleverly caught at point by Ahmed Shehzad in Gul's next over.
"Nothing went to plan, mainly because of two things — Hafeez played a brilliant innings and our bowling didn't work to a plan,'' Du Plessis described. "Our bowling did well in the last five overs to keep Pakistan to what we thought was a manageable total, but a five-for (Gul) and an 80-odd completely changes the game. Pakistan are a dangerous team.''
In between Gul's uproar, top scorer AB de Villiers (36) invited Mohammad Irfan's delivery back onto his stumps as South Africa nose-dived from 50-1 to 53-6. Hafeez then got through the tail with 3-25 and Gul accomplished the rout when he had newcomer Kyle Abbott caught behind.
"The team was eager to perform as we didn't have a good time in tests,'' Hafeez said. "Umar showed the way with brilliant bowling.''
Previously, after deciding to bat first, Hafeez appeared to have learnt from his dismal run in Pakistan's 3-0 defeat by South Africa in the test series by playing attacking shots. Hafeez hit nine fours and four sixes and never let the scoring tempo slow down after Nasir Jamshed (13) was caught at midwicket in the 4th over with Pakistan on 29.
Earlier, Hafeez has played a superb captain's knock in the form of an entertaining innings. Hafeez included 83 runs with Ahmed Shehzad, who scored 46 off 25 balls which included six fours and two sixes. Abbott had a dream test debut last month, when he took nine wickets against Pakistan, but will want to forget his Twenty20 debut at home, being hammered for 41 off four overs for the wicket of Gul.
Hafeez hit Ontong for conclusive sixes in the 14th over and emerged as the first Pakistan batsman to score over 1,000 runs in the shortest format of the game. The Pakistan skipper was out hit wicket in a dubious manner after he terribly slipped his backfoot onto the stumps despite smashing Rory Kleinveldt for another impressive boundary over the cover boundary off the same delivery.
Shahid Afridi ensured on a further note that Pakistan posted a gutsy total with an unbeaten 19 off 13 balls. Both, Pakistan and South Africa, will now start a five-match one-day series on March 10.
