International cricket returns to Faisalabad after 17 years as Pakistan face South Africa in ODI series

Cricket makes a long-awaited return to Faisalabad on Tuesday (November 4), with Pakistan set to face South Africa in a three-match ODI series at the Iqbal Stadium. This marks the first international ODI in the city since 2008, a year before the terrorist attack on Sri Lanka's team bus, which caused a shift of Pakistan’s home fixtures to neutral venues for over six years. While cities like Karachi, Lahore, and Multan have hosted international cricket since 2015, Faisalabad has not had the necessary infrastructure to stage such events until recently.

Shaheen Shah Afridi, the newly appointed ODI captain, expressed his excitement ahead of the match. “It’s a thrilling moment for us and the fans here in Faisalabad,” Afridi was qutoed as saying on Monday (November 3). “We hope to carry the positive momentum from our T20 series win into this ODI series.” Pakistan's recent record in ODIs has been underwhelming, leading to Afridi’s appointment in place of Mohammad Rizwan. Despite a strong showing in the T20 series, where Pakistan triumphed 2-1 against South Africa, their ODI performances have been disappointing. The team lost the triangular series final to New Zealand, failed to make the Champions Trophy semifinals, and suffered a series loss in the West Indies earlier this year.

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For the series against South Africa, Pakistan has selected its strongest squad, with Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf joining Afridi as fast bowlers. Fakhar Zaman returns after missing the T20s, and Babar Azam, who hit a match-winning 68 in the final T20, is back in form. Afridi hopes Babar’s recent knock will give him confidence ahead of the ODIs. South Africa, led by Matthew Breetzke in the absence of injured captain Temba Bavuma and several other key players, faces a difficult task. Breetzke, who scored a remarkable 150 on his ODI debut earlier this year in Lahore, will be looking to guide the team through this challenging series. “We know it’s going to be tough without our usual ODI core,” Breetzke admitted, “but this presents a chance for the younger players to step up and take responsibility.”

The remaining two games of the series will also be played in Faisalabad on Thursday (November 6) and Saturday (November 8).