The entire Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium in Islamabad will turn pink on October 28 during the opening T20I of the three-match series between Pakistan and South Africa. Due to the social responsibility, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to support the Pink Ribbon to create awareness about breast cancer.

The new initiative is a part of #PINKtober, which is a breast cancer awareness month. For the opening clash, the home side will wear the specially designed pink-themed kits to celebrate the special occasion, while the Proteas and the match officials will wear the pink ribbons in solidarity with the cause. The coaching staff and the commentators will also wear pink ribbons throughout the fixture.

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“The Pakistan Cricket Board takes immense pride in using the power and reach of cricket to create awareness about causes that affect our society. Through the Pink Ribbon campaign, we aim to highlight the importance of early detection and regular screening for breast cancer, which can save countless lives.” Sumair Ahmed Syed, the chief operating officer of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), expressed.

PCB’s new initiative to celebrate breast cancer awareness during first T20I against South Africa

The stumps for the game in Rawalpindi will be branded pink. Commentators will share awareness messages during the live broadcast as well. It’s a partnership of the board with the Pink Ribbon Breast Cancer Trust Hospital located in Lahore. The visitors can also visit it for free examination and screening on October 28.

“This initiative reflects our ongoing commitment to corporate social responsibility. We are grateful to both teams, match officials, broadcasters, and fans for joining hands in supporting this vital cause. Together, we hope to spread awareness and encourage meaningful action across communities.” Sumair Syed addressed.

“We are grateful to the Pakistan Cricket Board for supporting Pink Ribbon through this special cricket match. This collaboration aims to raise national awareness about breast cancer and highlight the importance of early detection. Cricket unites our nation, and today, it’s uniting us for a life-saving cause.” Umar Aftab, the Pink Ribbon CEO, shed light.

South Africa ended their 18-year wait for a Test win in Pakistan after winning the second game of the two-match Test series at Rawalpindi to end the series level at 1-1. 

Leading the Test series by 1-0 after winning the series opener by 93 runs at Lahore, Pakistan chose to bat first at Rawalpindi. While they scored 333 runs in the first innings, South Africa were once struggling at 235/8, but the lower-order batters' brilliant batting helped the visitors to score 404 runs.

On the fourth day of the Test match, while Pakistan started at 94/4, South Africa bundled them out for only 138 runs, as the visitors needed only 68 runs in the fourth innings to win the game. South Africa lost only two late wickets to secure a comfortable win by eight wickets.

See Also: Older players create history during PAK vs SA 2nd Test: Know about record

South Africa recorded third Test win in Pakistan

It was South Africa's third Test win in Pakistan. After their first Test win at Faisalabad in 1997, the Proteas recorded their second Test victory in Pakistan at Karachi in 2007. Now, they won the third Test in Pakistan after recording one draw and three straight losses since their previous Test win in Karachi. It was the 18-year wait for South Africa to win a Test match in Pakistan.

Last time, South Africa beat Pakistan in Asia in the 2013 Dubai Test, where the Proteas won by an innings and 92 runs. After that Dubai Test victory, the Proteas suffered three straight Test defeats in Pakistan before winning the latest one at Rawalpindi.

South Africa won three out of last four Tests in Asia

After 14 winless Tests in Asia for a decade (four draws and 10 losses), South Africa have recorded three wins in their last four Tests in Asia. In October 2024, South Africa won two Tests in Bangladesh, and in the ongoing month, they first suffered the Lahore Test defeat before winning the Rawalpindi Test to level the series. 

South Africa will play their next Test series against the hosts India in upcoming November, which will also be a part of the 2025-2027 ICC World Test Championship. 

Pakistan suffered a massive eight-wicket defeat against South Africa at home and failed to clinch the series victory during the second of the two-match Test series at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. With the loss, they slipped to the fifth position in the latest updated points table for the World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27.

It's the first win for the Proteas in Pakistan after 18 years in a red-ball fixture. The tourists were behind in the contest, where they found themselves eight down for 235 runs in the first innings. But it was a crazy batting display from the lower order of the side, especially Kagiso Rabada. 

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Senuran Muthusamy remained unbeaten on 89 runs in 155 balls with the help of eight boundaries at a strike rate of 57.42, while Keshav Maharaj smashed 30 runs at number 10. At number 11, the left-handed batter of the Proteas, Kagiso Rabada, clubbed 71 runs in 61 balls, hitting four boundaries and four sixes.

Check latest updated WTC 2025-27 points table after PAK vs SA 2025 Test series

In the third innings of the game, apart from Babar Azam’s 50 and a little contribution of 28 runs from Salman Agha, no one was able to put a score on the board as the home side got bundled out for 138 runs. Simon Harmer picked up 6/50 in 20 overs.

World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 standings

In reply, the visitors completed the chase of 73 runs by eight wickets in just 75 deliveries to square the series by a 1-1 margin. South Africa will now shift their focus to the white-ball leg of the trip before flying to India for the Test series in the middle of November.

The Pakistan vs South Africa 2nd Test at Rawalpindi created history, an event that had not been experienced previously in almost 150 years of Test cricket. The older players set a new record in Test cricket.

Domination of older players: Keshav Maharaj, Asif Afridi, and Simon Harmer recorded five-wicket hauls

In the first innings of the Test match, while Pakistan scored 333 runs, the 35-year-old South African left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj recorded a seven-wicket haul as he had the bowling figures of 42.4-5-102-7. After Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon (four times), Maharaj became the second non-Asian bowler to record multiple seven-wicket hauls in Test cricket in Asia, while he previously recorded it in the 2018 Colombo (SSC) Test against Sri Lanka by recording nine wickets (9/129).

While South Africa replied with 404 all out, the 38-year-old Pakistan left-arm spinner Asif Afridi, who made his international cricket debut, recorded the bowling figures of 34.3-6-79-6.

Pakistan were bundled out for only 138 runs in their second innings, where the 36-year-old off-spinner Simon Harmer claimed a six-fer, as he had the bowling figures of 20-5-50-6. 

See Also: Simon Harmer joins elite 1,000-wicket club with historic Test milestone

First time three different bowlers over 35 years old recorded five-wicket hauls

This is the first time in Test cricket history that three different bowlers over 35 years old recorded a fifer in a Test match. The record of two bowlers over 35 years old claimed the five-wicket haul in a Test match happened 10 times before the 2025 Rawalpindi Test match between Pakistan and South Africa. 

It was the must-win Test for South Africa to only level the series, as they suffered a defeat in the first Test of the two-match Test series by 93 runs at Lahore. While South Africa had a target of 68 runs in the fourth innings, they comfortably chased that target by losing two wickets, as they won the Test match by eight wickets. 

Pakistan have announced their squads for the upcoming white-ball series against South Africa at home. The same T20I squad will also play in the tri-nation series featuring Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe.

Pakistan Announce Squads for South Africa Series and Tri-Nation T20I Series

Shaheen Shah Afridi will captain the ODI side, while Salman Ali Agha takes charge of the T20I team. Babar Azam returns to the T20I setup after a break, and Naseem Shah also makes his comeback.

🚨 BABAR AZAM MAKES A COMEBACK 🚨

- Babar Azam has been named in Pakistan’s T20I squad for the South Africa series and Tri-Series. ✅ pic.twitter.com/xxiy5YhFpf

— Sheri. (@CallMeSheri1_) October 23, 2025

New faces Abdul Samad and Usman Tariq have been included, while Mohammad Haris, Haris Rauf, Fakhar Zaman, and Sufiyan Muqeem have missed out. In the ODI squad, Haseebullah Khan earns a spot after strong performances in domestic cricket.

Pakistan ODI Squad:
Shaheen Shah Afridi (C), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Faisal Akram, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah Khan, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha.

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Pakistan T20I Squad (for South Africa and Tri-Nation Series):
Salman Ali Agha (C), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan, Usman Tariq.

At the end of day 3, Pakistan, the home team, took the lead. Fan favorite Babar Azam is only 1 run away from completing his half-century. Before Babar Azam, it was Kagiso Rabada who was in the center of the stage.

Rabada, who is mostly known for his bowling skills, showed his swashbuckling batting skills against Pakistan during the Pakistan vs South Africa 2nd Test match at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. On a spin-friendly track, he scored 61 off 71, with the help of 4 boundaries and 4 over-boundaries. The crowd at the stadium thoroughly enjoyed that surprising innings, which proved when South Africa went to defend their small lead in the second innings of the match.

A video showed that the spectators at the stadium joyfully reacted to the gestures of Rabada, who was then near the boundary ropes. Rabada, too, enjoyed the company of the Pakistani cricket fans. Like the first match of the 2-match Test series, in the second match, there is a turning track to welcome the visiting side. This time, the World Test Championship (WTC) winning team is prepared for that.

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Kagiso Rabada fun moment with Rawalpindi crowd

KAGISO RABADA HAVING FUN WITH PINDI CROWD👌🇵🇰pic.twitter.com/0rp2qdHUTB

— junaiz (@dhillow_) October 22, 2025

Against Pakistan's first innings of 333 runs, SA claimed 404 runs and took a small but encouraging lead in the match. Kagiso Rabada had a huge contribution behind this score. When the lower-middle order batting was shortened by the Pakistani bowling attack, it was Rabada who turned reverse and delivered a much-needed heroic innings.

At the end of the day, Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan are on the track to start a fresh day. At the end of Day 3, Pakistan is leading by 23 runs.

Mohammad Rizwan, the wicket-keeper batter of the Pakistan side, could have been dismissed through a hit-wicket dismissal on the last ball of the third day during the second Test against South Africa at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. He made a massive mistake, which the umpires could have sent upstairs and ruled him out. 

On the last ball of the day, against the left-arm spinner of the Protea side, Keshav Maharaj, the Pakistan wicket-keeper drove the ball to the extra-cover region and dislodged the bails with the bat and started to walk towards the home dressing room, thinking that the umpire Sharfuddoula had called it ‘over’ before the moment took place.

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But the wicket-keeper of South Africa, Kyle Verreynne, wasn’t satisfied with the act and appealed to the umpire. He had an intense chat with both umpires, even though Sharfuddoula seemed not to be interested in the entire scenario. Pakistan had already been struggling with four wickets down for the second innings’ lead of 23 runs.

Watch: Mohammad Rizwan gets saved from controversial hit-wicket dismissal in PAK vs SA Lahore Test

In the first innings, the home side ended with 333 runs in 113.4 overs. Both Abduallah Shafique and their captain, Shan Masood, celebrated their respective half-centuries in the first innings along with Saud Shakeel, who cracked 66 runs. Salman Agha also notched up a fine knock of 45 runs in 76 balls with the help of five boundaries.

Rizwan clearly was hit wicket because ball was still in play. This actor should resist. I don't know why South Africans didn't appeal extravagantly. Umpires should at least have a look upstairs. pic.twitter.com/lhFgb1K7ys

— Mustafa (@mustafamasood0) October 22, 2025

In reply, the South African side got reduced to 235/8 in their first innings with the bat. But then came two fifty-run stands for the ninth and last wickets. Senuran Muthusamy recorded an unbeaten 89 runs in 155 balls at a strike rate of around 60 with eight boundaries, while Kagiso Rabada clubbed 71 runs at number eleven to get themselves over the 400-run mark.

In reply, Pakistan lost their three wickets quite early in the third innings of the clash. But later, Babar Azam took care of the last hour of the day. He remained unbeaten on 49 runs in 83 balls, scoring seven boundaries at a strike rate of 59.04.

After losing the first Test match of the 2025 year, South Africa were under pressure to make a strong comeback during the second of the two-match Test series against Pakistan at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium in Islamabad. They were up against the challenging spinning surfaces in the subcontinent and needed to pick wickets in the first innings to restrict the batting side to a low score. 

On a flat surface for the second game, both the Pakistani opening batters provided them a golden platform in the middle. Both Imam-Ul-Haq and Abdullah Shafique negotiated the new ball spell from Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen before cashing in when the spinners came into attack with an aggressive mindset.

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Aiden Markram introduced Simon Harmer into the attack on the 13th over just before the drinks break. On the third ball, the spinner dismissed Imam on 17 runs. It was a tossed-up delivery drifting in towards leg-stump on a length as the left-handed batter hung back to keep it out, but it pitched up and turned away venomously to square the batter up.

Watch: Simon Harmer's spining delivery outfoxes Imam Ul Haq during PAK vs SA 2nd Rawalpindi Test 

The left-handed opening batter flew past the outside edge of Imam and hit the top of the off stump. That was the dream delivery from the spinner, who celebrated with his teammates. It was the opening that the Proteas needed badly to get themselves back into the clash. However, it didn’t make much difference as Shan Masood and Shafique both celebrated their respective half-centuries with the bat.

What a magical delivery imam ul haq out#PAKvSA pic.twitter.com/e0tnvP9i7f

— 🐼♥️ (@ahsan_shah90) October 20, 2025

Harmer, who played for Essex for a long time in the County Championship, has now taken his wicket tally to 993 wickets in 405 innings at an average of around 27 and a strike rate of nearly nine overs, with the best bowling figures of 9/80 in an innings with 57 five-wicket hauls.

In the last game at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, Harmer was smacked for 101 runs for taking one wicket. He made a good comeback in the second innings to claim four wickets, even though they went 1-0 down with the defeat.

Which could have been a fortress, turned into a house of cards. Pakistan suffered humiliation on their home soil against South Africa. From 361 for 5 to 378 for 10 wickets, Pakistan lost their remaining 5 wickets in 17 runs only during the PAK vs SA 1st Test match at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. 

On the turning track of Lahore, the home team started their innings in a well-rounded manner. Most of their top- and middle-order batters scored runs significantly. At the point of the first innings, it seems Pakistan can register a total of over 500 runs against the World Test Championship (WTC) champions. In reality, they were unable to touch the 400-run milestone. 

Pakistan won the toss and decided to bat first on the fresh track to Gaddafi Stadium. The decision was easy to make, as the surface was looking dry and spin-friendly. From Day 1, the spinners of the South Africa cricket team were producing huge turns. Batting on such a wicket was not easy for any batters. But as long as Imam-ul-Haq (93), captain Shan Masood (76), Mohammad Rizwan (75), and Salman Ali Agha (93) were on the pitch, scoring runs looked like an easy task. Babar Azam was looking in good form but halted only for 23 runs. But still, Pakistan confidently edged past the 350-run mark and was heading for 400 on the scoreboard. 

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Pakistan suffered humiliation at Gaddafi Stadium 

Senuran Muthusamy turned into the wrecker-in-chief for South Africa. The 31-year-old slow left-arm orthodox single-handedly cut the tail of Pakistan's batting line-up. On 362 runs, Pakistan lost their 3 batters, though it was on a hat-trick. Rizwan, Noman Ali, and Sajid Khan had no clue against the South African bowler. With the tail-enders, Agha also could not stretch the innings. Agha missed his hundred by only 7 runs, and Pakistan suffered humiliation in their home. 

It will be interesting to see how the touring side is able to perform on the turning track. South Africa has enough firepower in their batting lineup. But to survive in typical subcontinent conditions, they have to bat with patience. 

Pakistan now return to Test cricket as well as their former skipper Babar Azam, as Pakistan are hosting South Africa in the two-match Test series, a part of the 2025-2027 ICC World Test Championship. While Babar Azam had a hard day on his international cricket return, he survived the early dismissal, thanks to DRS. 

Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore is hosting the Test series opener, starting on Sunday (October 12). After Pakistan won the toss and chose to bat, the hosts got a strong start despite the opener Abdullah Shafique's (2) dismissal in the first over. Another opener Imam-ul-Haq and captain Shan Masood both recorded big half-centuries to provide a solid start to the team. They added a 161-run partnership for the second wicket. 

See Also: Babar Azam achieves huge feat during ongoing PAK vs RSA first Test

Ramiz Raja on Babar Azam: Ye out hoga, drama karega

Babar Azam came to bat after the dismissal of the skipper Shan Masood, who scored 76 off 147 balls. However, Babar had a big scare when he was given caught behind out for just 1 run. The former Pakistan captain took the review, while the Pakistan commentator and former cricketer Ramiz Raja said, "ye out hoga, drama karega (He will be out and will create drama)." As the review saw that there was no edge from Babar's bat, he got the life. 

Ramiz Raza commenting on babar azam during DRS call and saying “ ye out hoga drama karega ye”

Ghante ka king have no respect pic.twitter.com/c22vxixlKh

— MAHESH (@_MAHESHICT) October 12, 2025

Pakistan were 199/2 to 199/5

However, Babar couldn't play a long innings, as he was dismissed for 23 runs off 48 balls. While once Pakistan were batting at 199/2, they were suddenly battling at 199/5, losing Imam-ul-Haq (93), Saud Shakeel (0), and Babar (23). Later, Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Agha rescued Pakistan with their half-centuries, as Pakistan ended the opening day at 313/5. Rizwan scored 62 not out and Salman scored 52 not out.