CAPE TOWN, (DNA) – Pakistan’s opening batsman Fakhar Zaman smashed a half-century Wednesday to help his team stay dominant against South African in the first innings of the final match of 5-match series at PPC Newlands in Cape Town.

South Africa won the toss and decided to bowl first against Pakistan in the deciding one-day international.

The home side has not kicked into top gear as yet in this five-match series after having blown the visitors away, 3-0, in the longest format of the game while Pakistan played a near-perfect match at the Wanderers on Sunday during the Pink ODI, inflicting a first ever “Pink” defeat on the Proteas.

Pakistan did not let Sarfraz Ahmed’s four-match ban affect their performance as they hammered South Africa by eight wickets in the fourth ODI to level the series 2-2 on Sunday. Sarfraz was handed a ban for four matches for his racist comments on-field at South Africa allrounder Andile Phehlukwayo, paving way for Shoaib Malik to be the stand-in captain.

Squads

PAKISTAN: Imam-ul-Haq, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik (capt), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Amir, Shaheen Afridi, Usman Khan

SOUTH AFRICA: Quinton de Kock (wk), Hashim Amla, Reeza Hendricks, Faf du Plessis (capt), Rassie van der Dussen, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius, Wiaan Mulder, Dale Steyn, Kagiso Rabada, Imran Tahir