With only days remaining to the Champions Trophy, Pakistan continues to face mounting criticism, with the ongoing Tri-series between Pakistan, South Africa, and New Zealand also under scrutiny. 

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The tournament, held in Karachi, has already seen a few controversial moments, including an incident involving New Zealand’s Rachin Ravindra, which left him injured badly. Another flashpoint occurred when Pakistan’s Shaheen Afridi and South Africa’s Matthew Breetzke found themselves in a tense confrontation on the field.

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The altercation unfolded during the 29th over of the innings when South African batter Matthew Breetzke appeared to gesture as if to strike Afridi with his bat. The Pakistani pacer, visibly angered, confronted Breetzke, leading to a heated exchange between the two. While the situation initially seemed to calm down, tensions flared again later in the same over.

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As Shaheen delivered another ball, he positioned himself in Breetzke’s path as the batter attempted a run. The two players collided, though Breetzke managed to maintain his balance and complete the run. Frustrated by the incident, the South African batter confronted Afridi once more, prompting intervention from other players and the on-field umpire to separate them before play resumed at the National Bank Stadium.

Breetzke shines on debut

Despite the heated on-field moment, Matthew Breetzke continued to impress with the bat. After South Africa elected to bat first, they suffered an early setback when Tony de Zorzi was dismissed by Shaheen Afridi. However, Breetzke and skipper Temba Bavuma built a solid 119-run partnership, with Bavuma scoring 82 off 96 balls and Breetzke smashing 83 off 84 before falling to Khushdil Shah. South Africa finished strongly, posting a formidable total of 352/5.

Breetzke’s performance in the Tri-series has been remarkable, especially in his ODI debut, where he notched a stunning 150 against New Zealand. However, despite his heroics, South Africa fell short in that game, allowing New Zealand to secure a place in the Tri-series final.

With tensions running high both on and off the field, the drama in Karachi adds further intrigue to the tournament as the Champions Trophy looms closer.

(With inputs from agencies)