Pakistan achieved a clean sweep against the T20 World Cup runners-up by successfully defending a target of 151, winning by six runs in Karachi on Monday night.

The Proteas have been dealing with internal issues as reports of discord among players led to a letter to Cricket SA expressing their desire for a coaching change.

Laura Wolvaardt, who earned the Player of the Series award against Pakistan, was appointed interim captain for the Pakistan tour and the upcoming home series against New Zealand. Coach Hilton Moreeng, whose contract expired in June, was also re-signed in an interim capacity until the year’s end. Cricket SA has advertised for a new coach.

Wolvaardt emphasized her team’s commitment to cricket amidst the coaching situation. She stated, “We are focusing on our cricket here. We plan our meetings around the games and we were fully focused on what we needed to do to get the job done.”

All three matches were decided in the last over, with Pakistan successfully chasing 151 in the first two matches before defending the same total in the final match.

Despite Wolvaardt’s stellar performance, highlighting her strike rate of 124.6 as the best among the Proteas, it underscored a persistent issue for the team. While other teams like Australia, England, and India have adopted more aggressive strategies, South Africa struggles to increase their scoring rates.

South Africa faced too many dot balls, a recurring problem they’ve discussed but not effectively addressed on the field. This issue persisted throughout the series, with more than 40 dot balls absorbed in two matches and 38 in the second game.

Wolvaardt acknowledged Pakistan’s strong performance, particularly in adapting to their home conditions, rotating the strike effectively, and delivering impressive bowling.