Pakistan faced South Africa in their ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 match at Chennai's Chepauk Stadium on Friday. During the game, a memorable incident involving wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan and pacer Marko Jansen became the talk of the town.
In this fixture, Pakistan opted to bat first and managed to score 270 runs. Captain Babar Azam and Saud Shakeel played pivotal roles with their half-centuries. Among them, Saud Shakeel stood out by scoring 52 runs at a run-a-ball pace, which included seven fours.
Notably, their 84-run partnership with Shadab Khan (43 runs off 36 balls) was crucial as Pakistan found themselves at 141-5 after 39 overs. Babar Azam also contributed with his third half-century of the tournament, scoring 50 runs from 65 balls.
On the bowling front, spinner Tabraiz Shamsi was exceptional, finishing with figures of 4-60. Meanwhile, Marco Jansen delivered a respectable performance, taking 3 wickets for 43 runs in nine overs.
However, amidst all the cricket action, a heartwarming moment stole the spotlight. Mohammad Rizwan, who scored 31 runs off 27 balls, demonstrated remarkable sportsmanship. When Marko Jansen attempted to provoke him with some words, Rizwan responded in a heartwarming manner by offering a hug instead of engaging in verbal sparring.
It's worth noting that Pakistan needed to secure a victory against South Africa to keep their hopes of qualifying for the semi-finals alive.