# Pakistani cricket team in South Africa in 1997–98

The Pakistan national cricket team toured South Africa during the 1997–98 season, playing three Tests from 14 February to 10 March 1998.
Pakistan was led by Rashid Latif while South Africa was led by Hansie Cronje. The tour began with a Test series consisting of three matches. Both captains had to withdraw from part of the Test series with injury.
The series was drawn 1–1. At the end of the series, Azhar Mahmood of Pakistan emerged as the top run-scorer with 327 runs, with an average of 65.40; Saeed Anwar followed close behind with 236 runs. Waqar Younis and Allan Donald finished the series as top wicket-takers capturing 16 wickets respectively, with Mushtaq Ahmed taking 13. Azhar Mahmood was named "man of the series".
The Pakistan tour was followed by a tour of Zimbabwe, followed by a triangular One-Day tournament played in South Africa, which included Sri Lanka as the third team. Pakistan and South Africa qualified for the final from the group stage. Pakistan were defeated in the Final by South Africa.

## Squad

* Pakistan
* Rashid Latif (c, wk)
* Aamer Sohail (vc)
* Saeed Anwar
* Inzamam-ul-Haq
* Ijaz Ahmed
* Yousuf Youhana
* Moin Khan (wk)
* Mohammad Wasim
* Saqlain Mushtaq
* Azhar Mahmood
* Ali Naqvi
* Shoaib Akhtar
* Mohammad Akram
* Waqar Younis
* Mushtaq Ahmed
Fazl-e-Akbar, Mohammad Hussain, Shahid Afridi and Wasim Akram later reinforced the party.

## Tour matches
### Nicky Oppenheimer XI v Pakistanis

* 29 January 1998 Scorecard
| Pakistanis 299/4d (56 overs) | v | Nicky Oppenheimer XI 239/6 (42 overs) |
| Inzamam-ul-Haq 107 (88) NC Johnson 2/32 (9 overs) | | DM Benkenstein 94 (69) Azhar Mahmood 3/82 (12 overs) |
* Match drawn NF Oppenheimer Ground, Randjesfontein Umpires: K Lavery and S Wadvalla Player of the match: Inzamam-ul-Haq (PAK)
This match did not have List A status.

### Four-day: Griqualand West v Pakistanis

* 30 January–2 February 1998 Scorecard
* Pakistanis won by 307 runs De Beers Diamond Oval, Kimberley, Northern Cape Umpires: SB Lambson and CJ Mitchley
* Pakistanis won the toss and elected to bat.

### Four-day: Border v Pakistanis

* 6–8 February 1998 Scorecard
* Border won by 5 wickets Buffalo Park, East London Umpires: RE Koertzen and DL Orchard
* Pakistanis won the toss and elected to bat.
* The match was scheduled for four days but completed in three.

### Three-day: Free State v Pakistanis

* 21–23 February 1998 Scorecard
* Match drawn Goodyear Park, Bloemfontein Umpires: WA Diedricks and DL Orchard
* Free State won the toss and elected to bat.

## Test matches
### 1st Test

* 14–18 February 1998
* Match Drawn New Wanderers, Johannesburg Umpires: CJ Mitchley (SA) and P Willey (ENG) Player of the match: PL Symcox (SA) and Azhar Mahmood (PAK)
* Pakistan won the toss and elected to field.

### 2nd Test

* 26 February–2 March 1998
* Pakistan won by 29 runs. Kingsmead Cricket Ground, Durban Umpires: MJ Kitchen (ENG) and DL Orchard (SA) Player of the match: Mushtaq Ahmed (PAK)
* South Africa won the toss and elected to field.
* Fazl-e-Akbar and Yousuf Youhana (both PAK) and HD Ackerman (SA) made their Test debuts.

### 3rd Test

* 6–10 March 1998 Scorecard
* South Africa won by 259 runs St George's Park Cricket Ground, Port Elizabeth Umpires: RS Dunne (NZ) and RE Koertzen (SA) Player of the match: MV Boucher (SA)
* Pakistan won the toss and elected to field.
* There was no play on the second day.