Stand-in skipper Shoaib Malik applauded after Pakistan crush South Africa  

Pakistan finally managed to draw the One Day International (ODI) series 2-2 against South Africa, after becoming the first side to beat the Proteas in a Pink One Day at Johannesburg.

The Pakistani side was led by veteran batsman Shoaib Malik as a stand-in captain, after skipper Sarfraz Ahmed was charged and suspended by the ICC for four international games. However, the team managed to topple Proteas convincingly, as Shoaib earned applause for his captaincy.

“Shoaib did an excellent job as a captain, firstly, because he elected to bowl after winning the toss, keeping in mind the DLS as showers were predicted in the afternoon. Secondly, the way he utilized the spinners [Shadab Khan, Imad Wasim] was fantastic.

“He used both Shadab and Imad together for long spells, backing them attacking field sets that choked the South African batting line as they were unable to hit boundaries,” said Ramiz Raja, at Ramiz Speaks.

Sarfraz's suspension came after he was caught via the stump mics making a racist comment against the South African all rounder Andile Phehlukwayo in the Durban ODI. Sarfraz accepted the charge related to ICC's Anti-Racism Code.

After winning the fourth ODI by eight wickets, Pakistan is all set to meet the hosts in the decider at Cape Town on Wednesday.