In the series finale, Pakistan, inspired by Shaheen, holds South Africa to 139-9.

In the series-deciding third Twenty20 International on Saturday at the Gaddafi Stadium, pace spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi led an inspired attack, and Pakistan bowled well to keep South Africa at 139-9. In the second game of the series on Friday, Pakistan defeated South Africa by a meager 110 runs. This time, Shaheen, who had rested the day before, took wickets frequently to keep the visitors in check. With debutant spinner Usman Tariq and fellow pacer Faheem Ashraf each taking two wickets, Shaheen posted a score of 3-26.

The batters for Pakistan will try to complete the job and give their team a crucial series win to boost confidence before the World Cup next year. With two wickets taken halfway through the first over, Shaheen got Pakistan off to a fast start and almost took a third victim two balls later.On the second ball of the innings, opener Quinton de Kock's stumps were knocked off by a delivery that bounced back, found an edge, and slammed into the woodwork.

Lhuan-dre Pretorious caught Usman Tariq at short fine-leg on the very next ball. When the umpire ruled that Dewald Brevis was lbw on the first ball of a spectacular opening over, Pakistan thought they were in heaven. However, the decision review system showed that the ball was going to rise above the stumps.

The opener Reeza Hendricks struck Shaheen away to the extra cover fence on the penultimate ball of the third over, setting up South Africa's first boundary. Salman Mirza, Shaheen's new ball partner, kept things tight otherwise, coming off a sparkling performance on Friday that didn't reveal much. Friday's player of the match, Faheem Ashraf, only gave away two runs in the fifth over, and Salman bowled a good sixth over to get South Africa to 22-2 at the end of the powerplay.

But in the seventh over, Brevis broke free with two sixes off spinner Mohammad Nawaz, one straight down the ground and the other deep midwicket. Usman, a South African batsman, found Babar Azam at long-on as he attempted to go big once more, and Usman took his maiden T20I wicket with the second ball of his career. Brevis, who was 21 years old, was out soon after.

Matthew Breetzke, who was coming in, didn't last long because Nawaz broke his stumps with a ball that was straight after pitching the next over, dropping South Africa's score from 38-2 to 42-4.

Skipper Donovan Ferreira breathed fresh impetus with a six off Usman, as South Africa reached 56-4 halfway through their innings, and then upped the ante with two sixes and a four in the 11th over bowled by Nawaz.

However, Ferreira's big run didn't last long, as he holed out to his opponent Salman Ali Agha at mid-off in Faheem's next over after hitting 29 off 13. When George Linde found Hasan Nawaz at midwicket with Pakistan firmly in control, South Africa was six runs behind.

When Hendricks top-edged Usman to Hasan at deep backward square in the 15th over, his long and patient stay at the crease came to an end, and he scored 34 off 36 with two fours. When Salman Mirza caught Shaheen at midwicket in the 18th over, the newly arrived Andile Simelane had made 13 runs and hoisted Shaheen for the fourth six of the match.

In the penultimate over, Shaheen returned Lizaad Williams for his third wicket, but Corbin Bosch (30 not out) ensured that South Africa reached a respectable total.