Opener Saim Ayub hit a blistering half century after pacers starred as Pakistan thrashed South Africa by nine wickets in the second Twenty20 International of the three-match series to level it 1-1.
Saim smashed an unbeaten 71 off 38, hitting six fours and five sixes, to help Pakistan chase down the paltry 111-run target in the 14th over.
Earlier, Faheem Ashraf and Salman Mirza had kept South Africa quiet with a brilliant pace bowling show.
Pakistan openers Sahibzada Farhan and Saim had seen the side cruise to 49-0 by the end of the powerplay with a measured approach with no pressure on them whatsoever.
But right at the end of the period, Corbin Bosch trapped Sahibzada lbw with his pace. However, the incoming Babar Azam triggered raucous roars among the capacity crowds, getting off the mark with a scintillating cover drive.
Saim too carried on, launching Ottneil Baartman for a huge six over long-on as Pakistan edged closer to the small target.
The southpaw followed that up with a powerful cut through the off-side for four and an audacious flick for yet another maximum, milking a 21 runs from the ninth over.
Saim brought up his first T20I half century on home soil in 29 balls in the next over — which also saw him lift spinner Donovan Ferreira over the covers for six — as Pakistan posted 92-1 at halfway stage.
After Babar became highest T20I-run scorer — beating India’s Rohit Sharma with 4323 tuns in 123 matches — Saim dispatched George Linde and Ferreira for sixes to take Pakistan over the line.
Earlier, Pakistan put up a fast-bowling masterclass as South Africa were bundled out cheaply after they were put into bat.
Faheem took 4-23 while Salman — replacing Shaheen Shah Afridi in the Pakistan XI — returned figures of 3-14 and Naseem Shah chipped in with 2-28.
South Africa’s best batting display came from Dewald Brevis, but the right-hander’s burst was too short to lead the visitors to a competitive total.
They reeled at 31-4 by the end of the powerplay as Salman rattled their top-order with immaculate line and length and subtle movement.
The left-armer struck as early as on the second ball of the match, bamboozling South African opener Reeza Hendricks — who hit a match-winning half century in the first match — with an in-swinger that crashed into the stumps.
Naseem pushed the Proteas deeper into trouble, deceiving Quinton de Kock with a slower one, which the right-hander holed to Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha at mid-off.
Salman then returned to get Tony de Zorzi caught at deep fine before castling Matthew Breetzke with a stunning off-cutter.
The incoming Brevis, one of the most promising prospects in global T20 cricket, went after the Pakistan bowlers to bring back South Africa in the game, dispatching spinners Mohammad Nawaz and Abrar Ahmed and medium-pacer Faheem for handsome sixes, but was undone by a shorter ball by Faheem to depart with 25 off 16 against his name.
Faheem then returned to make South African captain Ferreira drag the ball on to his stumps just at the halfway stage, to leave the visitors at 66-6.
The right-armer returned to send back Linde in the same manner two overs later.
South Africa’s struggles only kept on increasing, with Naseem producing a caught-behind dismissal of Bosch in the 14th over.
Abrar Ahmed got himself in the wickets column, thanks to a carrom ball that clipped Nandre Burger’s off-stump before Faheem came back to be gifted a fourth and South Africa’s last wicket on the second ball of the 20th over.
Pakistan will look to win the series when they take on South Africa in the third and final match at the same venue on Saturday.
