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Minister of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation of the Republic of South Africa, Maropene Lydia Ramokgopa, affirmed that the participation of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani in the G20 Summit adds depth and credibility to global deliberations on the economy, development, and international stability.In remarks to Qatar News Agency (QNA), She said that South Africa was eagerly anticipating the participation of His Highness the Amir at the 2025 G20 Summit. She noted that this anticipation stemmed from the strong international regard for Qatar's leadership in advancing peace, development, and major infrastructure initiatives across the globe.She indicated that Qatar had assumed an increasingly significant role in advancing its infrastructure and in addressing peace and security challenges with seriousness. She stressed that Qatar's wise leadership in these areas had garnered broad and growing international recognition.She stressed that His Highness the Amir's participation in the G20 Summit will contribute to strengthening regional and international coordination, reinforcing the multilateral framework represented by the G20, and supporting global dialogue efforts aimed at ensuring the effective follow-up of international resolutions. She noted that this would help the international community address major economic and development issues, particularly those related to infrastructure and the strengthening of multilateral institutions.On bilateral relations, Minister of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation of the Republic of South Africa noted that ties between Qatar and South Africa continue to expand across several sectors, particularly energy, infrastructure, and investment. She praised the strength of the relationship, describing it as founded on mutual respect and a shared commitment to building productive and strategic partnerships.She noted that South Africa's Ministers of Electricity and Energy, and of Public Works and Infrastructure, had recently paid official visits to the State of Qatar. She said the Minister of Electricity and Energy's visit focused on enhancing cooperation in the gas and energy sectors, while the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure explored partnership opportunities in infrastructure development. She added that South Africa is keen to deepen cooperation with Qatar in these two vital sectors to advance sustainable development and benefit both South Africa and the wider African continent.She said that South Africa, which chairs the AU Presidential Infrastructure Initiative, regards cooperation with countries such as the State of Qatar as a key pillar in supporting regional growth and driving shared African development objectives.She added that trade between Qatar and South Africa has continued to grow at a steady pace, supported by rising diplomatic coordination rooted in mutual trust and shared political and economic priorities.She stressed that the continued exchange of high-level visits between the leadership of the two countries stands as clear testimony to the robustness and depth of their bilateral relations. She added that joint cooperation in the areas of economy, energy, and infrastructure underscores a shared strategic vision focused on advancing sustainable development and strengthening economic security regionally and globally.She also noted that the Global South, particularly African countries, regards the G20 Summit as a historic opportunity to amplify its collective voice on the economic and financial issues that directly impact their societies. She underscored that South Africa, in its capacity as summit president, represents the African continent as a whole through an ambitious agenda with clearly defined priorities.She added that these priorities include combating illicit financial flows that deprive African economies of vital natural and financial resources, promoting transparency, and strengthening financial oversight systems to mobilize the resources required for sustainable development.She added that the elevated cost of international debt continues to represent a significant challenge for African nations. She explained that South Africa is engaged in advancing this issue for the benefit of the continent as a whole, especially in view of prevailing global economic pressures.She highlighted that South Africa's G20 presidency constitutes a historic milestone for the African continent, as it is the first time an African nation has assumed leadership of this global platform. She emphasized that South Africa recognizes the significant responsibility it carries in advancing the continent's interests within the global economic architecture.She added that her country anticipates the summit's outcomes and final statements will contribute to greater stability in the global economy, development, and the international financial system.Concluding her remarks to QNA, Minister of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation of South Africa, Maropene Lydia Ramokgopa, expressed South Africa's deep appreciation for Qatar's pioneering role on the international stage in support of global dialogue and multilateralism. She emphasized that enhanced cooperation between Qatar and South Africa will serve the interests of both the region and the wider international community. 

Saim Ayub hit a half century and spinner Abrar Ahmed took four wickets as Pakistan beat South Africa by seven wickets in the third one-day international Saturday, taking the series 2-1. Left-handed opener Ayub smashed 11 boundaries and a six in his 70-ball 77 to steer Pakistan to a 144-run chase in 25.1 overs after Abrar’s 4-27 had routed South Africa for 143 in 37.5 overs. Ayub added 65 runs for the second wicket with Babar Azam (27) after Nandre Burger dismissed opener Fakhar Zaman for nought with the second ball of the innings. Azam fell run out, much to the disappointment of a packed 16,000 Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad, having now gone 32 innings without an ODI hundred. Ayub fell to spinner Bjorn Fortuin before Mohammad Rizwan, 32 not out, and Salman Agha, five not out, completed the chase. The ODI series win is Pakistan’s first against South Africa at home, having lost 3-2 twice in 2003 and 2007. Pakistan won the first match by two wickets and South Africa took the second by eight wickets, also in Faisalabad. Victorious skipper Shaheen Shah Afridi said: “It’s a complete team effort and a reward for hard work.” Shaheen, captaining Pakistan for the first time in ODIs, added: “This win will give us confidence for the coming matches.” Visiting skipper Matthew Breetzke praised Abrar. “We wanted a total of 250-plus but Abrar bowled very well and we lost too many wickets,” said Breetzke, standing in for injured skipper Temba Bavuma. Earlier in the series decider, Abrar combined with Salman Agha (2-18) and pacer Shaheen (2-18) routed South Africa who won the toss and batted, but only four batters crossed double figures. Quinton de Kock followed his hundred in the second match with a top score of 53 off 70 balls with a six and six boundaries while Lhuan-dre Pretorius knocked a 45-ball 39 with a six and four boundaries. When on 44, De Kock completed 7,000 runs in 158th innings, the second fastest to the milestone behind countryman Hashim Amla in 150 innings. De Kock, 32, is the fifth South African to score 7,000 or more ODI runs behind Jacques Kallis (11,550), AB de Villiers (9427), Amla (8113) and Herschelle Gibbs (8094). De Kock and Pretorius set the platform with a 72-run opening stand before the spinners hit back for Pakistan as the visitors lost their nine wickets for 56 runs. Agha dismissed Pretorius and Tony de Zorzi for two in the space of 15 runs before left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz ended all hopes of a big total with the wicket of De Kock in the 25th over. Leg-spinner Abrar jolted the innings by dismissing Rubin Hermann (one), Donovan Ferreira (seven) and Corbin Bosch (nought) in successive overs. He then ended Breetzke’s resistance-filled 16 to improve on his previous best of 4-33 which came against Zimbabwe in Harare last year. Shaheen had Nqabayomzi Peter (16) and Lungi Ngidi (nought) to wrap up the innings in the 38th over. BRIEF SCORESPakistan 144 for 3 (Ayub 77, Rizwan 32*, Burger 1-29) beat South Africa 143 (De Kock 53, Abrar 4-27, Afridi 2-18, Agha 2-18) by seven wickets

South African skipper Donovan Ferreira said his team will speed up preparation for next year’s Twenty20 World Cup, with the series against Pakistan starting in Rawalpindi from Tuesday.South Africa finished runners-up to India in the 2024 Twenty20 World Cup, and will be among the favourites for the coming edition which India and Sri Lanka co-host in February-March.Ferreira said Monday that this week’s three-match series provides an ideal opportunity.“It is important to build up towards the World Cup,” he said. “I think this is the big stepping stone for us towards the World Cup.”South Africa will miss David Miller - announced captain for this series but ruled out with injury - as well as Gerald Coetzee and Kwena Maphaka, who are both injured.They have rested regular T20I skipper Aiden Markram, batters Tristan Stubbs and Ryan Rickelton, and spearhead Kagiso Rabada.Despite less experience in the side and losing to Namibia earlier this month, Ferreira hopes his team will play an aggressive brand of cricket.“The Namibia game is past now and I think we need to play an explosive brand of cricket with the bat or with the ball, as we have got exciting players in the side.”Pakistan skipper Salman Agha also sees the series as an opportunity to build towards the World Cup.“We need to further our preparations and overcome the mistakes we committed in the Asia Cup,” said Agha of the regional event last month where they finished runners-up to India.Agha said he was excited to see star batter Babar Azam back in the T20I side for the first time since December 2024.“Babar is a world class player and he will benefit our team with his batting,” said Agha.“We have good batters and bowlers in the side so we need to build up towards the World Cup.”The remaining two matches are on Friday and Saturday, both in Lahore.

Temba Bavuma was Monday named as captain of South Africa’s squad for two World Test Championship matches in India next month having recovered from injury. Bavuma, who led South Africa to victory in the championship final against Australia in London in June, missed the country’s recent series in Pakistan because he was having treatment for a calf strain. South Africa were captained by Aiden Markram when they started their defence of their title by sharing the two-match series in Pakistan. Bavuma has captained South Africa in ten Tests, winning nine and drawing one. The squad announced by Cricket South Africa includes the bulk of the players who were in Pakistan. Off-spinner Prenelan Subrayen missed out despite playing in the first Test in the absence of Keshav Maharaj, who was recovering from injury. Durham batsman David Bedingham, who toured Pakistan but did not play in the Tests, made way for Bavuma. The 15-man squad includes three front-line spinners in Maharaj, Simon Harmer and Senuran Muthusamy, who took a combined 33 wickets in Pakistan. Coach Shukri Conrad said the players had shown “real character” in sharing the honours in Pakistan after losing the first Test. South Africa lost the toss in both matches and had to bat second in spin-friendly conditions. “We are expecting a similar challenge in India and many of the players who stood up for us in those conditions will again be key for us,” said Conrad. “Pakistan was a squad effort and India will demand the same. Every player has a role to play in ensuring we remain competitive in what is always a tough place to tour.” Squad: Temba Bavuma (captain), Corbin Bosch, Dewald Brevis, Tony de Zorzi, Zubayr Hamza, Simon Harmer, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Kyle Verreynne (wkt) Fixtures: November 14-18, Kolkata November 22-26, Guwahati

South Africa batsman Tristan Stubbs scored an unbeaten 68 to steer his side to 185-4 at stumps on the second day of the second test against Pakistan Tuesday, but two late wickets saw the hosts keep a firm grip on the contest.The usually swashbuckling Stubbs produced a circumspect innings, featuring in a 113-run partnership with Tony de Zorzi as South Africa looked to haul in Pakistan’s first innings score of 333.South Africa still trail by 148 runs with Stubbs and Kyle Verreynne (10 not out) to resume at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium Wednesday. The 25-year-old Stubbs had been promoted back to No. 3 in South Africa’s batting lineup after a poor run in the middle order and looked to take the chance to reaffirm his place in the team after speculation he might be dropped after last week’s first test defeat in Lahore.He showed a patient approach, reaching his 50 in 149 balls with a six over the bowler’s head being one of the few extravagant strokes in his innings.De Zorzi was the only player to score a century in the first test, which Pakistan won by 93 runs, and confirmed a return to form by scoring 55 off 93 balls before losing his wicket in the last half hour before close. He was trapped by debutant spinner Asif Aridi, taking his first test wicket at the age of 38.Asif, who turns 39 in December, quickly followed it up with the wicket of Dewald Brevis, departing without scoring after a sharp delivery saw him edge to Salman Ali Agha at slip. Pakistan were dismissed shortly before lunch as South Africa spinner Keshav Maharaj posted figures of 7-102 on his return to the side, taking all five Pakistan wickets Tuesday.The hosts resumed on 259-5 with Saud Shakeel and Salman extending their sixth wicket partnership to 70 runs before Salman was trapped leg before for 45.The last four Pakistan wickets fell for 17 runs with Saud (66) caught at slip by captain Aiden Markram as South Africa’s catching showed a marked improvement from Monday when they dropped several good chances.Left-arm spinner Senuran Muthusamy, who took 11 wickets in the first test, bowled only four overs, relegated to a back-up role as Maharaj dominated with the ball and emphasised his position as South Africa’s top Test spinner.BRIEF SCORES: South Africa 185 for 4 (Stubbs 68*, de Zorzi 55, Asif Afridi 2-24) trail Pakistan 333 (Shakeel 66, Agha 45, Maharaj 7-102) by 148 runs.

Pakistan punished poor catching from South Africa to accumulate 259-5 on the opening day of the second and final Test in Rawalpindi on Monday.Had the tourists not dropped five catches on a turning pitch they would have been in a better position after Pakistan won the toss and batted.Skipper Shan Masood, dropped on 71 off a luckless Keshav Maharaj, top-scored with 87 while Abdullah Shafique - dropped four times - made 57.Saud Shakeel and Salman Agha will resume on Tuesday unbeaten on 42 and 10 respectively, with the home team seeking a 2-0 series win against the world Test champions.South African pacer Kagiso Rabada trapped Mohammad Rizwan with the fifth delivery with the second new ball for 19 to give some respite to his team.Maharaj, who missed the first Test in Lahore through injury, took 2-63 and fellow spinner Simon Harmer 2-75.With the bulk of the bowling done by Maharaj and Harmer, spinner Senuran Muthusamy -- who took 11 wickets in the first Test -- was surprisingly used for just four overs.The final session also saw Masood fall to an uppish sweep off Maharaj, caught by Marco Jansen, after hitting two fours and three sixes in his innings.Earlier, Shafique's chancy knock finally ended when he edged Harmer to wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne after adding an invaluable 111 runs for the second wicket with skipper Masood.The struggling Babar Azam, again cheered by a home crowd willing him to return to form, was dismissed for just 16 when Tony de Zorzi took a low catch at silly point for Maharaj's first wicket.Azam has gone 29 Test innings without a century.Maharaj himself dropped Shafique on 15 off his own bowling and then saw Aiden Markram drop the same batter on 41 and 53.Shafique also survived on nine when a Jansen delivery rolled onto the stumps but did not dislodge the bails.Shafique admitted he was lucky."You need luck in cricket and I was lucky today," said Shafique. "Catches get dropped in cricket and today we benefitted from them and now we need to post a 350-plus total from here."In the morning session South Africa's only breakthrough came from Harmer, who bowled Imam-ul-Haq for 17 with a sharp turner that beat the bat and hit off-stump.Rabada was also unlucky when Tristan Stubbs dropped Shafique in the slips off the fourth ball of the match when he was on nought."It was an even day because we controlled their run rate," said Maharaj. "We know how important are catches but no-one means to drop catches although it was frustrating."Having won the first Test in Lahore by 93 runs, Pakistan included a third spinner in Asif Afridi, dropping fast bowler Hasan Ali.At 38 years and 299 days, Asif became the second oldest Pakistani Test debutant, behind Miran Bakhsh, who made his debut at 47 years and 284 days against India in 1955.BRIEF SCORES:Pakistan 259 for 5 (Masood 87, Shafique 57, Maharaj 2-63, Harmer 2-75) vs South Africa

Spinners dominate on difficult pitchNoman Ali takes a 10-wicket match haulPakistan lead 1-0 in two-match seriesPakistan secured a 93-run victory over South Africa on the fourth day of the first test, taking the eight wickets needed on Wednesday to go 1-0 up in the two-match series.Left-arm spinner Noman Ali completed a 10-wicket haul and seamer Shaheen Shah Afridi took the last three wickets as South Africa, who were 51-2 overnight, were dismissed for 183 in the middle session.The slow and deteriorating wicket proved far too testing for the tourists although Dewald Brevis offered them hope as he bludgeoned a quick-fire half century.South Africa were always going to be up against it when Tony de Zorzi, who scored a century in the first innings, was trapped leg before wicket by Shaheen Shah Afridi in the first over of the morning, as they chased a target of 277 to extend a 10-test winning streak.It was a rare wicket for a seamer in a contest where neither side used them much, such was the spin-friendly condition of the turning wicket, although Afridi returned to secure victory for his team.Tristan Stubbs lasted only eight balls before a viciously turning delivery from Noman deceived him, bringing Brevis to the wicket.The 22-year-old already has a reputation in limited overs cricket for his expansive hitting and did not temper his approach in his third test appearance.He made up for his first ball dismissal in the first innings with 54 runs off as many balls as he put the pressure back onto the Pakistan bowlers and offered South Africa the brief potential of an unlikely win.Together with Ryan Rickelton they put on a 73-run partnership, but Noman had the last laugh with a turning delivery that clean bowled Brevis.Rickelton then got a leading edge to Sajid’s turning ball to depart for 45, leaving the tourists 137-6 at lunch.The last four wickets fell without much resistance with Afridi given another spell to wrap up the tail and return figures of 4-33. Noman took 4-79 to add to his six wickets in the first innings."We built enough margins where we could have the upper hand and I'm glad we finished it off," said Pakistan captain Shan Masood.Defeat for South Africa marked a losing start to the defence of their World Test Championship crown at the beginning of a new two-year cycle."There was some good stuff over the few days that we played, I thought, really good signs, I suppose, bat and ball. So we have a bit to take out, bit to learn as well, and clean up our space for the next game," said South Africa captain Aiden Markram.Next week's second test will be played in Rawalpindi.BRIEF SCORES:Pakistan 378 and 167 (Babar 42, Muthusamy 5-57, Harmer 4-51) beat South Africa 269 and 183 (Brevis 54, Rickelton 45, Afridi 4-33, Noman 4-79) by 93 runs

South Africa defeated Rwanda 3-0 in Mbombela Tuesday to win Group C and qualify for the 2026 World Cup.Thalente Mbatha and Oswin Appollis scored in the first half with Evidence Makgopa sealing victory with a goal midway through the second period.South Africa topped the table with 18 points, one more than Nigeria, who hammered third-placed Benin 4-0 in Uyo with Victor Osimhen claiming a hat-trick.However, Nigeria could still make it to the World Cup as they will be among the four best-ranked African runners-up who compete in a mini-tournament in Morocco during November.The winners of the play-offs, which involve single-match semi-finals and a final, advance to an inter-continental tournament in March with two World Cup places up for grabs.It will be the fourth appearance by South Africa at the global showpiece. They qualified for the 1998 and 2002 tournaments and were automatic participants in 2010 as the host nation.Belgium-born coach Hugo Broos was thrilled as he represented his country as a player at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico and wanted to coach a team at the tournament before retiring."We all knew that we could do it, we believed in ourselves. We are going to the World Cup and it is fantastic," said the 73-year-old."In the last three years we changed players and every time it was the right choice. What happened tonight is the work of three years and the future looks very bright for South African football."We have the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco during December and then the World Cup. There are no words to express how I feel."Winger Appollis was voted player of the match after scoring and creating the other goals as South Africa regained their scoring touch after failing to find the net in a draw with Zimbabwe last Friday."What an amazing feeling for the group going to the World Cup. I am so happy for the boys," he told reporters."I know we had a draw in our last game, but I knew that we would come here to Mbombela tonight and win."Qualification was a huge relief for South Africa, who saw a five-point lead with four rounds remaining turn into a two-point deficit behind Benin entering the final round.South Africa dropped points in home draws with Nigeria and Zimbabwe and forfeited three points for fielding the ineligible Teboho Mokoena in a victory over Lesotho.South Africa needed to beat Rwanda and hope Nigeria defeated Benin, and that is what transpired with the home teams making dream starts.Nigeria were ahead within three minutes through Osimhen while Mbatha scored the first South African goal with just five minutes gone.A snap shot from Appollis midway through the opening half put South Africa in control and Rwanda spent most of the match on the back foot.Makgopa, a late call-up in place of injured Iqraam Rayners, headed into the net off a corner on 72 minutes to complete the scoring.Osimhen netted a second time before half-time and completed his hat-trick six minutes into the second half. An added-time goal from Frank Onyeka completed the rout.South Africa become the seventh African country to qualify for the expanded 48-team World Cup next year in the United States, Canada and Mexico.They join Algeria, Cape Verde, Egypt, Ghana, Morocco and Tunisia, and the final two automatic qualifiers will be decided later Tuesday.Group leaders Ivory Coast and Senegal need victories at home to Kenya and Mauritania respectively to qualify.

The first Test between Pakistan and South Africa was set for a thrilling conclusion after rival spinners Noman Ali and Senuran Muthusamy wrought destruction on day three in Lahore Tuesday.Muthusamy took a maiden 10-wicket match haul to help bowl Pakistan out for 167 in their second innings on another day dominated by spin and give South Africa a target of 277 for victory.But Noman, following up his 6-112 in the first innings, dismissed captain Aiden Markram for three and Wiaan Mulder (nought) to keep the visitors down to 51-2 at the close.Ryan Rickelton, 29 not out, and Tony de Zorzi, unbeaten on 16, fought till stumps with South Africa needing another 226 runs.Pakistan need eight wickets for a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.With the threatening spin duo of Noman and Sajid Khan the home team will fancy their chances, especially because no visiting team in Pakistan has ever chased more than the 220-8 Sri Lanka did in Rawalpindi in 2000.Pakistan head coach Azhar Ali was in buoyant mood."We will definitely defend this target," said the former Pakistan all-rounder."The state of the pitch and our spinners make us favourites, despite our batting not up to the mark in the second outing."De Zorzi, who hit a century in South Africa's first innings, acknowledged the pressure was on."These are tough conditions for batting, but hopefully myself and Rickelton can build tomorrow," he said."We will definitely give our best tomorrow, knowing that partnerships will be like gold."As a gripping match approaches its climax, Muthusamy destroyed Pakistan with figures of 5-57 to add to his 6-117 while fellow spinner Simon Harmer took 4-51 as Pakistan lost their last six wickets for 17 runs.The hosts were fairly well placed at 150-4 but Saud Shakeel holed out for 38 off Muthusamy to trigger a collapse in the last over before tea.Harmer bowled Mohammad Rizwan for 14 before Muthusamy ran riot.He dismissed Salman Agha for four, Noman Ali for 11 and Shaheen Shah Afridi for nought to finish with match figures of 11-174, taking four wickets off 21 balls.Harmer ended Pakistan's sloppy batting display by removing Sajid Khan for one.Earlier, South Africa were dismissed for 269 an hour before lunch, conceding a lead of 109 after Pakistan's first-innings 378.Noman took 6-112 for his ninth haul of five wickets or more in Tests.Muthusamy magicWith the Gaddafi Stadium taking big turn, South Africa tossed Harmer the new ball in Pakistan's second innings.The 36-year-old had Imam-ul-Haq stumped by wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne for nought before trapping captain Shan Masood lbw for seven.Muthusamy then had Abdullah Shafique for 41 and pacer Kagiso Rabada trapped Babar Azam leg-before for 42.Azam has now failed to score a hundred in 28 Test innings dating back to December 2022.Earlier, South Africa's De Zorzi resumed on 81 at the start of the day and carried the fight to Pakistan, completing his second Test century with a six and two singles off Noman.The left-hander finally holed out for 104 to long-on off Noman, where Shaheen Shah Afridi took a low catch, ending a 208-minute innings containing 10 fours and two sixes.Noman, who bowled a probing 35 overs, also removed Prenelan Subrayen for four during the session.Fellow spinner Sajid took the first wicket of the day when he had Muthusamy caught by Salman Agha for 11.He then wrapped up the innings when he bowled Rabada for nought to finish with 3-98 off 33 overs.BRIEF SCORES:outh Africa 51 for 2 (Rickelton 29*, Noman 2-20) and 269 (de Zorzi 104, Noman 6-112, Sajid 3-98) need another 226 runs to beat Pakistan 167 (Babar 42, Muthusamy 5-57, Harmer 4-51) and 378 (Agha 93, Imam 93, Muthusamy 6-117)

Spinner Noman Ali grabbed four wickets to restrict South Africa to 216-6 at the close of play on day two of the first Test in Lahore on Monday, despite a fighting half century from Tony de Zorzi.Spinners dominated on a turning Gaddafi Stadium pitch as all the day's 11 wickets went to slow bowlers, with South African left-armer Senuran Muthusamy taking a career-best 6-117 to dismiss Pakistan for 378.De Zorzi was holding the fort at the close with 81 not out and Muthusamy on six as South Africa trail by 162 runs in the first innings.De Zorzi batted with guts, knocking nine boundaries and a six, combating Noman who claimed 4-85.South Africa started off well with 45-0 on the board when Noman removed touring skipper Aiden Markram for 20 and Wiaan Mulder for 17 -- both caught behind by wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan.Ryan Rickelton, who scored a punishing 71 with two sixes and nine boundaries, and De Zorzi added 94 for the third wicket, taking on the spinners with some aggressive shots.It was part-timer Salman Agha who broke the stand by forcing an edge from Rickelton with Babar Azam taking a smart low catch in the slips.Noman returned for his third spell to get Tristan Stubbs caught behind for eight and Kyle Verreynne leg-before for two while Sajid Khan removed Dewald Brevis for a golden duck."We need to get them out as early as possible and a 120-run lead would help us win this Test," said Noman."This pitch will further help spinners in the coming days so it's good for us."Earlier, it was Noman's like-for-like left-armer Muthusamy who destroyed Pakistan after they resumed on 313-5, losing their last five wickets for just 16 runs.Muthusamy, who bettered his previous Test best of 4-45 against Bangladesh in Chattogram last year, said: "It was really nice to add value to the team by getting wickets."It was not ideal to have lost wicket close to stumps, but we will fight back tomorrow."Agha hit five fours and three sixes in his 93 and was last man out, caught in the deep off spinner Prenelan Subrayen, who took 2-78.Agha added 49 with Rizwan to take their sixth-wicket stand to 163 before Muthusamy ripped out the middle order with three wickets in the 12th over of the day.Rizwan was the first to go, for 75, when he edged a sharply turning ball to wicketkeeper Verreynne after a knock containing two fours and two sixes.Two balls later Noman went without scoring, bowled when he played down the wrong line and then Sajid Khan followed first ball, caught in the slips.It became 378-9 when Muthusamy bowled Shaheen Shah Afridi, on seven, for his sixth wicket.BRIEF SCORES:South Africa 216 for 6 (De Zorzi 81*, Rickelton 71, Noman 4-85) trail Pakistan 378 (Agha 93, Imam 93, Masood 76, Muthusamy 6-117) by 162 runs

Pakistan rode on a brilliant 93 from Imam-ul-Haq to reach 313-5 after a brief fightback from South Africa on the opening day of the first Test in Lahore on Sunday.Shan Masood hit 76, but Haq missed out on his hundred and Pakistan slumped to 199-5 as four wickets fell quickly.Mohammad Rizwan, 62 not out, and Salman Agha, unbeaten 52 at the close, rebuilt the innings during an unbroken sixth-wicket stand of 114 in the final session on a spin-friendly Gaddafi Stadium pitch.Rizwan hit two fours and two sixes in his 12th Test half-century while Agha had two fours and a six in reaching his 10th fifty.Pakistan dominated most of the first two sessions, but then had a mini-collapse from 163-1 to 199-5 as they lost four wickets for 36 runs, the last three without adding a run either side of the tea interval."We have batted us to a good position," said Haq, playing his first Test since December 2023."We must score over 400 to get us in a strong position. Regarding missing a hundred, that's always disappointing."Spinner Prenelan Subrayen trapped Masood lbw for 76, including nine fours and a six, to end a 161-run stand with Haq.Left-arm spinner Senuran Muthusamy then had Haq caught at short-leg by Tony de Zorzi, after a 236-minute knock that included seven fours and a six.Next ball - the last before tea - Muthusamy had Saud Shakeel caught and bowled to bring South Africa back into the game at 199-4.Local hero Babar Azam fell for 23, trapped leg-before by Harmer after the interval to make it 199-5 and leave a good 10,000 holiday crowd disappointed.South Africa could have been in a better position had they not dropped Masood on 61 and Haq on 72 with Subrayen the unlucky bowler on both occasions.South Africa spinner Simon Harmer hoped they could finish off the Pakistan innings quickly on day two."We had a good day and now need to take positives from today and keep Pakistan under 400," he said."That would be great because this pitch will take more spin as the match progresses," said Harmer, who had figures of 1-75.With the pitch likely to turn, Masood opted to bat after winning the toss and named specialist spin duo Noman Ali and Sajid Khan in the teamPakistan lost opener Abdullah Shafique leg before to pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada off the third ball of the day.South African captain Aiden Markram turned to his spinners in the sixth over and by lunch had used all three -- Subrayen, Harmer and Muthusamy.But there were no further dramas in the opening session as Pakistan reached 107-1 at lunch after Haq had brought up his 10th Test fifty.The two-match series is part of the new World Test Championship two-year cycle. South Africa won the title by beating Australia in June.

South Africa captain Aiden Markram says his side can expect to have a target on their back when they begin a new cycle of the World Test Championship as defending champions.South Africa play a two-Test series in Pakistan, starting on Sunday, and two games in India in November as they bid to retain the trophy they won in June by beat Australia by five wickets at Lord’s.The World Test Championship is decided at the end of a two-year cycle, with the top two teams competing in a one-off five-day match.“I suppose you create a bit of a target on your back if you’ve won (the WTC), and if that’s the case, it’s fair. We want to chase a place in the final again and lift that trophy once again but realise each team will be coming for us,” said Markram, who stands in as skipper for Temba Bavuma who has been ruled out of the tour with a calf strain.“We, as a team, have to keep getting better and improving and playing well in all different types of conditions. It starts for us in Pakistan, and it’s a challenge the boys will be up for,” he told a press conference on Monday.South Africa have been practising on specially prepared spinning wickets at Pretoria’s High Performance Centre.“There were a couple of nets prepared where the spin is really exaggerated, and you’d rather err on that side, and maybe then it’s a bit easier when we get to Pakistan,” Markram said.“We’re expecting to face a lot of spin over there, and it’s also, naturally, a lot lower there from a seam point of view,” Markram said.“There’s a lot of skiddy, so it’s hard to try and emulate that here in South Africa, but we’ve been looking to put a lot of emphasis on finding a way to train for that.”The first Test against Pakistan is in Lahore and the second begins on October 20 in Rawalpindi.