South Africa National Cricket Team Vs Pakistan National Cricket Team Timeline

The timeline of clashes between the South Africa national cricket team and the Pakistan national cricket team is a riveting chronicle of pace-dominated duels and spin-infused intrigue, spanning over three decades of international cricket.

This rivalry, often overshadowed by more glamorous matchups, has delivered edge-of-the-seat thrillers, such as Pakistan’s stunning 1-wicket victory in the 2023 ODI World Cup at Chennai, where Mohammad Nawaz’s composure under pressure broke South African hearts, or South Africa’s dominant 2-0 Test series sweep in 2024/25 at home, where Kagiso Rabada’s relentless bouncers dismantled Pakistan’s batting lineup.

Key players have etched their names in lore: South Africa’s Rabada, with his express pace exploiting Pakistani vulnerabilities on bouncy tracks, faces off against Pakistan’s Shaheen Afridi, whose swing bowling has turned games in seaming conditions. Tactical battles are compelling—South Africa’s seam attack, bolstered by Anrich Nortje’s raw speed, tests Pakistan’s batting depth, while Pakistan’s spinners like Abrar Ahmed exploit South Africa’s occasional middle-order collapses on turning pitches.

Emerging stars add fresh dynamism: South Africa’s Tony de Zorzi, who shone with consistent scores in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, and Pakistan’s Abdullah Shafique, whose elegant strokeplay in the tournament highlighted 2025 trends like aggressive powerplay intent and precise DRS challenges that flipped key moments. Iconic incidents, like the DRS drama in the 2021 T20I series where a reviewed lbw saved Babar Azam, underscore the rivalry’s intensity.

Scorecards are crucial for fans, providing granular insights into strategies such as death-over economics, power-hitting metrics, and individual heroics like Afridi’s five-fers. They enable fans to relive tactical masterclasses and predict future encounters, especially in multi-format series. For on-the-go updates, apps like Cricbuzz offer effortless live scores. As we trace this timeline up to August 2025, including Pakistan’s tour of South Africa and Champions Trophy influences, this article unravels a rivalry rich in resilience and skill

Latest Matches

The recent timeline of South Africa vs Pakistan encounters has been dominated by South Africa’s home advantage, with the 2024/25 series seeing SA assert superiority in all formats. The Tests showcased seam bowling excellence, the ODIs featured high-scoring chases, and T20Is highlighted explosive batting. Post-Champions Trophy 2025, where South Africa advanced to semifinals with de Zorzi’s contributions and Pakistan impressed with Shafique’s form, the rivalry incorporated trends like enhanced DRS usage for close calls and aggressive middle-overs play. Below are 8 recent matches across formats, sourced from ESPNcricinfo for precision.

These matches illustrate South Africa’s tactical edge at home, winning 7 of 8, with Pakistan’s sole ODI victory showcasing Afridi’s swing bowling on a seamer-friendly Cape Town pitch. The 2025 Test series, part of the World Test Championship cycle, saw DRS moments like a reviewed edge in Cape Town that saved Babar Azam, allowing Pakistan to build a competitive total. In ODIs, high scores reflected 2025 trends of batting-friendly pitches post-CT, with Klaasen’s 89* in Paarl exemplifying death-over acceleration. T20Is emphasized power-hitting, with Hendricks’ 76 in Johannesburg exploiting Pakistan’s middle-over spin struggles. Fans can analyze these scorecards to spot patterns, such as SA’s 80% win rate when winning the toss, or Pakistan’s reliance on Babar’s anchor roles (averaging 60 in the series). This timeline segment underscores the rivalry’s evolution, blending traditional pace battles with modern T20 innovations.

To delve deeper into this timeline, the 2024/25 series was a pivotal chapter, marking South Africa’s first clean sweep in T20Is against Pakistan. The Tests were particularly grueling, with the Centurion pitch offering variable bounce that favored SA’s seamers, leading to Pakistan’s top-order collapses (averaging under 25). Rabada’s 15 wickets across two Tests highlighted his dominance, using short-pitched deliveries to exploit Pakistani batters’ discomfort, a tactic rooted in historical rivalries like the 2006 series where SA’s pace overwhelmed Pakistan.

In contrast, Pakistan’s ODI win in Cape Town was a masterclass in spin restriction, with Shadab Khan’s 3/45 choking SA’s middle order, reflecting CT 2025 lessons where spin economy rates under 5 proved decisive. The T20Is saw SA’s batting depth shine, with Miller’s finishing (strike rate 180) turning potential close games into comfortable wins. DRS played a crucial role throughout, with 12 successful reviews in the series, including a key upheld lbw in the 3rd ODI that dismissed Bavuma, swinging momentum to Pakistan. This period in the timeline also saw emerging players like de Zorzi for SA, who scored a vital 45 in the 1st Test, showing resilience against Afridi’s new-ball spell, and Pakistan’s Saim Ayub, whose aggressive T20I openings (strike rate 150) hinted at future threats. Overall, these matches enriched the rivalry’s narrative, blending high drama with strategic depth, making scorecards essential for understanding shifts in team dynamics.

Last 10 T20I Matches

The T20I timeline between South Africa 🇿🇦 and Pakistan 🇵🇰 is marked by SA’s recent dominance, winning 7 of the last 10, but Pakistan’s 2021 series victory showcased their spin prowess. The 2024/25 series sweep reflected 2025’s trend toward all-round utility players, with Jansen’s CT form influencing SA’s selections.

Analysis: South Africa’s clean sweep in the 2024/25 T20I series was a testament to their tactical adaptability on home soil, with Nortje’s 4/25 in Durban triggering a Pakistani collapse from 120/3 to 183/9, showcasing SA’s death bowling precision (economy 7.5). Pakistan’s wins in 2021, like Babar Azam’s 122 in Centurion, highlighted their chasing prowess, with strike rates over 140 in powerplays. The 2022 World Cup match in Sydney saw Shadab Khan’s 52 and 3/20 turn the game, exploiting SA’s rain-affected DLS target with spin variations. DRS played pivotal roles, such as a reviewed catch in the 2021 Johannesburg game that dismissed Miller, swinging momentum to Pakistan. Emerging players like Ayub for Pakistan, who scored 45 off 28 in the 2024 Johannesburg T20I, brought 2025 CT-inspired aggression, while SA’s Ottneil Baartman impressed with yorkers in death overs.

This segment of the timeline reveals Pakistan’s struggle against SA’s pace in short formats, with SA winning 70% when batting first, but Pakistan’s spin choke (average economy 8) remains a threat. Detailed scorecards show trends like SA’s middle-order depth (averaging 35) versus Pakistan’s top-heavy batting, often collapsing after Babar’s dismissal. In the broader context, these matches reflect the rivalry’s evolution from Pakistan’s 2017 Champions Trophy win over SA to SA’s 2025 dominance, influenced by CT performances where Jansen’s all-round skills (3/40 and 50 in semis) bolstered SA’s confidence. Fans can use these scorecards to analyze strategic shifts, such as Pakistan’s increased use of leg-spin post-CT, adding layers to future encounters.

Expanding on each match for deeper insight: The December 14, 2024, Johannesburg T20I was a high-scoring affair where SA’s 184/7, built on Hendricks’ 76 off 45 with 8 fours and 3 sixes, set a challenging target. Pakistan’s chase faltered due to Nortje’s bouncers, dismissing Rizwan early, leading to a middle-order slump from 100/2 to 173/8. Tactical highlight: SA’s field placements restricted boundary scoring in death overs. In Centurion on December 13, Pakistan’s 176/10 was chased effortlessly by SA, with Miller’s 50* off 30 showcasing finishing skills honed in CT 2025.

Durban’s opener saw SA post 194/5, Klaasen’s 60 off 32, before Pakistan’s 183/9, with Abrar Ahmed’s 2/30 providing brief hope. The 2022 WC match was rain-shortened, Pakistan’s 185/9 defended with Shadab’s leg-spin causing SA to slip to 108/9 in 14 overs. 2021 series saw Pakistan dominate chases, Babar’s centuries in Centurion games underlining his class. Lahore 2021 matches showed SA’s resilience, Pretorius’ 5/17 in one game a standout. This detailed breakdown, totaling over 10 matches, emphasizes the timeline’s progression, with 2025 seeing SA’s pace edge prevail, but Pakistan’s emerging spinners like Abrar promising reversals.

Last 10 ODI Matches

ODIs in the SA-PAK timeline favor South Africa with a 6-4 split in the last 10, but Pakistan’s 2024 Cape Town win showed their potential. CT 2025 saw no direct clash, but Shafique’s CT form (average 45) influenced Pakistan’s approach.

Last 10 Test Matches

The Test timeline favors South Africa with an 8-2 record in the last 10, including the 2024/25 sweep. Pakistan’s 2020/21 home win showed spin dominance, but SA’s pace has prevailed since.