First ODI: Agha, Saim shine as Pakistan beat South Africa by 3 wickets

Pakistan defeated South Africa by 3 wickets in the opening One Day International (ODI) of the three-match series played at Boland Park on Tuesday.

Pakistan chased down the target in 49.3 overs, courtesy Saim Ayub's brilliant ton and Agha's unbeatable 82.

Playing XIs:

Pakistan: Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan (C/WK), Kamran Ghulam, Salman Ali Agha, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed

South Africa: Tony de Zorzi, Ryan Rickelton, Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram (C), Tristan Stubbs, Heinrich Klaasen (WK), Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Ottneil Baartman, Tabraiz Shamsi

Head-to-Head Record:

Pakistan and South Africa have faced off in 83 ODI matches. South Africa leads the head-to-head with 52 wins, while Pakistan has won 30 times. One match ended without a result.

Matches Played: 83

Pakistan Wins: 30

South Africa Wins: 52

Form Guide:

Pakistan comes into the series with strong momentum, having secured back-to-back 2-1 ODI series victories against Australia and Zimbabwe.

South Africa, too, enters the series on a high, having won their previous series against Ireland 2-1.

Pakistan Recent Form: W, W, L, W, W

South Africa Recent Form: L, W, W, W, L