The rivalry between the South African National Cricket Team and the Pakistan National Cricket Team is filled with drama, emotion, and memorable moments. Since their first meeting in the early 1990s, with South Africa’s return to international cricket, the two teams have had a competitive and closely contested history in all formats. South Africa National Cricket Team vs Pakistan National Cricket Team Timeline highlights some of the most intense matches, unforgettable moments, and the mutual respect that keeps this cricketing rivalry intense and exciting. Both teams are recognized for their potent bowling attacks—Pakistan for their fast bowlers and mystery spinners, and South Africa for their pace bowlers. Their matches frequently take unexpected turns, surprising viewers with last-over endings, surprise comebacks, and exceptional individual talent. While South Africa has often dominated bilateral series, Pakistan has also provided historic victories, particularly in global events.
South Africa vs Pakistan 1990s to 2000: Initial Encounters
- 1991-1992 Benson & Hedges Cup- South Africa and Pakistan met for their first International Cricket match in 1992 during the Benson & Hedges Cup. In 1991, Proteas made a comeback after years of being banned due to apartheid. It is the 22nd match of the tournament held at the Brisbane. South Africa won the game against Shaheens by 20 runs using the D/L method. South Africa scored 211 runs in 50 overs. Andrew Hudson, the opening batsman of South Africa, played a match winning knock of 54 off 81 and won the Man of the Match title for his phenomenal batting.
- 1994-1995 Wills Triangular Series- In the 1994-95 Triangular Series, Pakistan crowned vitorious against South Africa by winning 3-0. Shaheens invited the Proteas for the 3-match series and defeated South Africa on their home soil. Inzamam-ul-Haq, Saleem Malik, Basit Ali, and Ijaz Ahmed were the leading players from the Paksitan team, who played an innings in the series and helped their team to win the Triangular Series. However, Ijaz Ahmed scored an incredible century 110 off 110 in the 5th match of the series. He was also awarded the Man of the Match award for his exceptional performance in the game.
- 1994-1995 South Africa v Pakistan- Both teams met for their first test match at Johannesburg in 1995. Pakistan toured South Africa for the test match. Proteas trounced Pakistan, winning by 324 runs. Brian McMillan hit a century with 113 runs in the first innings of the match. While Gary Kirsten, Jonty Rhodes, and Fanie De Villiers scored a half-century each in the first innings. Fanie De Villiers was awarded the Man of the Match award for his commendable batting and bowling in the game.
- 1995-1996 Pepsi Sharjah Cup- South Africa completely clean-swept the Green-Caps, winning 2-0. South Africa defeated Pakistan by 143 runs in 2nd match of the Sharjah Cup. Daryll Cullinan secured a century with 110 runs in the match, while Andrew Hudson and Gary Kirsten’s partnership helped South Africa win the match.
- 1997-1998 Pakistan v South Africa- In the 1998 test series, both team showed their aggressive gameplay and won the series 1-1. However, the first match ended with a draw between the Proteas and Shaheens. Pakistan toured South Africa for the 3-match test series. In the second match, Azhar Mahmood scored 132 off 163 deliveries. While Saeed Anwar also scored a century in the second innings of the match with 118 off 209, showing their great batting skills. On the other side, from the South African team, Hansie Cronje, Mark Boucher, and Jacques Kallis were the key players.
- 1999 ICC World Cup- In the 1999 World Cup, both teams showed showed their best versin leading the rivalry to one level up. It is the 32nd match of the 1999 World Cup held at Nottingham, where South Africa crowned victorious against Pakistan by 3 wickets. The Proteas beat the target set by the Green Caps by scoring 221 runs in 49 overs. Lance Klusener’s amazing batting and bowling helped South Africa win the match.
- 1999-2000 Coca-Cola Cup- In the final match of the 1999-00 Coca-Cola Cup, the Green Caps made a comeback and secured a win over the Proteas by 16 runs at Sharjah Cricket Stadium. By winning the toss and batting first, Pakistan set South Africa a target of 264 runs in 50 overs. When South Africa came on the ground for batting, they managed to score only 247 runs in 49 overs. Imran Nazir, Shahid Afridi, and Inzamam-ul-Haq are the 3 leading batsmen of Shaheens. However, Waqar Younis was awarded the Player of the match for his exceptional bowling. He took 4 wickets in 10 overs.
Read Also: India National Cricket Team vs Pakistan National Cricket Team Match Scorecard
South Africa vs Pakistan 2001 to 2015: Intense Rivalry begins
- 2002-2003 South Africa v Pakistan- in 2002-03 South Africa and Pakistan met for the 5-match ODI series. Proteas completely dominated the Shaheens, winning the series by 4-1. Pakistan only won the 2nd match of the series. Graeme Smith, Jonty Rhodes, Shaun Pollock, Herschelle Gibbs, and Boeta Dippenaar are some of the key players from the South African team who led their team to the ODI series win. Gary Kirsten hit a century 102 runs in the 4th ODI match and won the Player of the Match award for his commendable batting performance. On the other hand, Saleem Elahi and Abdul Razzaq also scored a century in the 2nd match of the series.
- 2006-2007 South Africa v Pakistan- In the 3-match test series, South Africa whitewashed the Green Caps, by winning 2-1. South Africa defeated Pakistan on their home soil. Pakistan won the 2nd test match. Ashwell Prince hit an incredible century with 138 runs in the first game of the 2006-2007 South Africa v Pakistan test series.
- 2006-2007 South Africa v Pakistan- South Africa and Pakistan met for their first ever T20I match at Johannesburg. South Africa won this match by 10 wickets. South Africa beat the target of 130 runs set by the Green Caps in 20 overs by scoring 132 in 11.3 overs. Graeme Smith and Loots Bosman’s unbreakable partnership won the game for South Africa. Loots Bosman was awarded the Man of the Match award for hitting 53 off 32 in the game.
- 2006-2007 ICC Champions Trophy- In the 10th match of the Champions Trophy, the Proteas secured an iconic win over Shaheens by 124 runs. South Africa scored 213 runs in 50 overs, while Pakistan managed to score only 89 runs in 25 overs. It is the lowest score of the Shaheens in this rivalry. South Africa wrote their name as a winner in this Champions Trophy, giving their memorable performance in the match and making their country proud.
- 2009 ICC World Twenty20- It is the first semi-final match of the 2009 ICC T20 World Cup which was held at Trent Bridge, Nottingham. Pakistan won this match by 7 runs. It is the most thrilling match of the tournament, where Shahid Afridi came out to be the shining star of the match. He scored a half-century 51 off 34 balls and also took 2 wickets in 4 overs to won the Player of the Match award for his exceptional batting and bowling skills.
- 2012-2013 South Africa v Pakistan- Pakistan toured South Africa for the 3 match test series. The Proteas crowned a victory over Shaheens by winning 3-0. South Africa completely whitewashed Pakistan in the 2012-2013 test series. Jacques Kallis, Graeme Smith, Hashim Amla, Robin Peterson, and Vernon Philander are the leading players from the South African team, who scored an innings in the match. AB de Villiers, the best wicket keeper from the South African team, secured an unbeaten century in the first and third matches of the series.
- 2013 ICC Champions Trophy- It is the 5th match of the Champions Trophy held at Birmingham. South Africa secured a win over Pakistan by 67 runs. The Proteas scored 234 runs in 50 overs, while Shaheens managed to score 167 runs in 45 overs. Hashim Amla scored an unbeaten 81 off 97 and won the Man of the Match award for his exceptional batting in the match.
- 2015 ICC World Cup- It is the 29th match of the 2015 World Cup which was held at Auckland, Pakistan defeated South Africa by 29 runs through the D/L method. The Shaheens scored 222 runs in 46 overs. Sarfaraz Ahmed scored 49 runs in 49 balls, while Misbah-ul-Haq played an innings of 56 off 86. Sarfaraz Ahmed won the Man of the Match title.
South Africa vs Pakistan 2016 to Recent Matches:
- 2017 ICC Champions Trophy- Pakistan won the 7th match of the 2017 Champions Trophy against South Africa by 19 runs through the D/L method. Hasan Ali took 3 wickets in 8 overs and won the Man of the Match title. From the South African team, David Miller scored a half-century with 75 runs.
- 2019 ICC World Cup- It is the 30th match of the 2019 World Cup, the game was held at Lord’s, where Pakistan secured a significant win over the Proteas by 49 runs. The Shaheens scored 308 runs in 50 overs. Haris Sohail scored 89 runs in the match. However, Wahab Riaz and Shadab Khan also showed their great performance with their phenomenal bowling. Haris Sohail was awarded the Man of the Match award for his exceptional batting performance in the match.
- 2018-2019 South Africa v Pakistan- In the 2019 T20I series, South Africa earned a 2-1 victory over Pakistan. Pakistan won the 3rd match of the series by 27 runs. Reeza Hendricks, Faf du Plessis, and David Miller were the key players for the South African team who led their team to the series win.
- 2023 ICC World Cup- It is the 26th match of the 2023 World Cup held at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai. South Africa defeated the Green Caps and won the match by 1 wicket. It is one of the most exciting matches of that tournament.
- 2024-2025 South Africa v Pakistan- Pakistan toured South Africa for the 2 two-test-match series in 2024-25. The Proteas completely dominated Pakistan, winning 2-0.
- 2024-2025 Tri-Nation Series- South Africa and Pakistan met in the 3rd match of the Tri-Series held in Pakistan. Pakistan won this game by six wickets, scoring 355 runs in 49 overs. Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Agha are the 2 players from the Pakistan team who scored an unbeaten century in the match. Salman Agha won the Man of the Match title for scoring 134 off 103 balls.
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