In a heartwarming display of sportsmanship, middle-order batsman Salman Ali Agha demonstrated a remarkable gesture by handing over his Player of the Match award to opener Saeem Ayub in the first ODI against South Africa.
Yesterday in Paarl, Pakistan clinched a hard-fought victory against South Africa, defeating them by just 3 wickets to win the first ODI. In this match, opener Saeem Ayub scored a brilliant century, while Salman Agha played a crucial unbeaten innings of 82 runs.
Batting first, South Africa managed to post 239 runs for 9 wickets in their 50 overs, setting a target of 240 runs for the Green Shirts.
Pakistan’s start in pursuit of the target was shaky, with opener Abdullah Shafiq dismissed for a duck, Babar Azam for 23, captain Mohammad Rizwan for 1, and Kamran Ghulam for 4. The team found themselves struggling at 60 runs with 4 wickets down, seemingly heading towards defeat.
However, Saeem Ayub and deputy captain Salman Agha formed a crucial partnership of 141 runs for the fifth wicket, bringing the team close to victory. Saeem was dismissed for 109, including 10 boundaries and 3 sixes. After his dismissal,
Irfan Khan Niazi and Shaheen Afridi followed in quick succession, putting the match in a difficult situation. But Salman Ali Agha held one end and scored 82 runs, including 4 boundaries and 2 sixes.
In a heartwarming gesture, Salman Agha displayed outstanding sportsmanship by awarding his Player of the Match trophy to young opener Saeem Ayub, recognizing his remarkable contribution to the team’s victory.