CENTURION (South Africa), March 3: Fast bowler Umar Gul took five wickets for only six runs and captain Mohammad Hafeez smashed a career-best 86 off 51 balls as Pakistan annihilated South Africa by 95 runs in the decisive second Twenty20 International here on Sunday.    

Hafeez put a poor Test series behind him as he thrashed four sixes and nine boundaries to inspire Pakistan to 195-7 at the SuperSport Park.

South Africa, in reply, collapsed to 100 all out in what was a series decider after the first match in Durban on Friday night was washed out.

When Hafeez was on 73 he became the first Pakistani to reach 1,000 runs in Twenty20 Internationals. His innings was in dramatic contrast to his struggles in a three-match Test series which ended last week in which he could score only 43 runs in six innings at an average of 7.16.

“I knew I was playing well in the nets but just getting good balls in the Tests,” he said. “It was disappointing but the coach [Dav Whatmore] has been working hard with me in the nets.”

Hafeez said he felt criticism of the team after they were beaten 3-0 in the Test series had been premature.

“As a team we knew it was a different format and we have to come out with some good performances. The boys showed a great deal of character and wanted to do something special with the One-day Internationals coming up.”

South Africa and Pakistan meet in five One-day Internationals, starting in Bloemfontein next Sunday.

A second wicket partnership of 83 off 48 balls with Ahmed Shehzad (46) set Pakistan on the way, but the innings lost momentum when Hafeez was out hit wicket with the total on 170 off the third ball of the 17th over.

Hafeez slipped as he went back in his crease to hit Rory Kleinveldt to the cover boundary and he dislodged his bails.

South Africa made a flying start, with A.B. de Villiers batting audaciously as the home side reached 48 for one in four overs.

But Umar Gul then took four wickets in six balls, spread across two overs, as the match swung in Pakistan's favour.

Three South Africans were out first ball.

In between De Villiers was bowled by Mohammad Irfan for 36, made off 22 balls with two sixes and four fours.

“The shorter the version of the game, the more one individual can come through and win it,” said South Africa captain Faf du Plessis.

“Hafeez was fantastic and put out bowlers under pressure. Umar Gul was a case of us trying to win the game by going hard to get the run rate up.”—Agencies

Scoreboard

PAKISTAN: Nasir Jamshed c Ontong b Tsotsobe    13 Ahmed Shehzad run out    46 Mohammad Hafeez hit wkt b Kleinveldt    86 Umar Akmal c Du Plessis b Morris    11 Shoaib Malik c Miller b Kleinveldt    7 Shahid Afridi not out    19 Kamran Akmal c Ontong b Morris    1 Umar Gul c Behardien b Abbott    1 Saeed Ajmal not out    0 EXTRAS (LB-6, W-5)    11 TOTAL (for seven wkts, 20 overs)    195 FALL OF WKTS: 1-28, 2-112, 3-155, 4-170, 5-171, 6-174, 7-190. DID NOT BAT: Junaid Khan, Mohammad Irfan. BOWLING: Abbott 4-0-41-1 (1w); Tsotsobe 4-0-28-1 (1w); Kleinveldt 4-0-27-2 (1w); Morris 4-0-35-2 (2w); Peterson 2-0-26-0; Ontong 2-0-32-0. SOUTH AFRICA: A.B. de Villiers b Irfan    36 H. Davids c Saeed b Junaid    7 F. du Plessis c Kamran b Umar Gul    6 C.H. Morris c Saeed b Umar Gul    0 J.L. Ontong lbw b Umar Gul    0 F. Behardien c Ahmed b Umar Gul    0 D.A. Miller c Ahmed b Umar Gul    9 R.J. Peterson c Afridi b Hafeez    13 R.K. Kleinveldt c Umar Akmal b Hafeez    22 K.J. Abbott c Kamran b Umar Gul    2 L.L. Tsotsobe not out    0 EXTRAS (LB-1, W-4)    5 TOTAL (all out, 12.2 overs)    100 FALL OF WKTS: 1-20, 2-50, 3-50, 4-51, 5-53, 6-53, 7-67, 8-98, 9-98. BOWLING: Mohammad Irfan 3-0-27-1 (2w); Junaid Khan 2-0-22-1 (1w); Umar Gul 2.2-0-6-5; Mohammad Hafeez 3-0-25-3 (1w); Saeed Ajmal 2-0-19-0. RESULT: Pakistan won by 95 runs to win series 1-0. UMPIRES: J.D. Cloete and S. George (both South Africa). TV UMPIRE: A.T. Holdstock (South Africa). MATCH REFEREE: J.J. Crowe (New Zealand). MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Mohammad Hafeez. FIRST MATCH: Durban, abandoned.