| Series Name: | South African cricket team in Pakistan in 2020–21 |
| Team1 Image: | Flag of Pakistan.svg |
| Team1 Name: | Pakistan |
| Team2 Image: | Flag of South Africa.svg |
| Team2 Name: | South Africa |
| From Date: | 26 January |
| To Date: | 14 February 2021 |
| Team1 Captain: | Babar Azam |
| Team2 Captain: | Quinton de Kock (Tests) Heinrich Klaasen (T20Is) |
| No Of Tests: | 2 |
| Team1 Tests Won: | 2 |
| Team2 Tests Won: | 0 |
| Team1 Tests Most Runs: | Faheem Ashraf (171) |
| Team2 Tests Most Runs: | Aiden Markram (227) |
| Team1 Tests Most Wickets: | Hasan Ali (12) |
| Team2 Tests Most Wickets: | Keshav Maharaj (10) |
| Player Of Test Series: | Mohammad Rizwan (Pak) |
| No Of Twenty20s: | 3 |
| Team1 Twenty20s Won: | 2 |
| Team2 Twenty20s Won: | 1 |
| Team1 Twenty20s Most Runs: | Mohammad Rizwan (197) |
| Team2 Twenty20s Most Runs: | David Miller (116) |
| Team1 Twenty20s Most Wickets: | Usman Qadir (4) |
| Team2 Twenty20s Most Wickets: | Dwaine Pretorius (6) Tabraiz Shamsi (6) |
| Player Of Twenty20 Series: | Mohammad Rizwan (Pak) |
The South Africa cricket team toured Pakistan in January 2021 to play two Test matches and three Twenty20 International (T20I) matches against the Pakistan cricket team.[1] [2] The Test series formed part of the inaugural 2019–2021 ICC World Test Championship.[3] It was the first time in fourteen years that South Africa toured Pakistan.[4]
In December 2020, Cricket South Africa (CSA) confirmed that they would be touring Pakistan.[5] The Test matches took place in Karachi and Rawalpindi, with the T20I matches being played in Lahore.[6]
Pakistan won the first Test by seven wickets, to take a 1–0 lead in the series.[7] Pakistan won the second Test by 95 runs, taking the series 2–0, and recording their first series win against South Africa since October 2003.[8] The T20I series was level after the first two matches,[9] with Pakistan winning the third match by four wickets, winning the series 2–1.[10] With winning the third match, Pakistan became the first men's team to win 100 T20I matches.[11]
After successfully arranging a limited-overs series against Sri Lanka in Pakistan, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman, Ehsan Mani announced that they would no longer play their future home matches at a neutral venue.[12] [13] For the tour to go ahead, Cricket South Africa needed to grant permission for their players to travel as a group, due to the situation of the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa.[14] In August 2020, the South Africa women's team were denied a request to travel to England.[15]
On 25 September 2020, the PCB confirmed that the South African team would be touring Pakistan, as per the schedule.[16] A month later, Cricket South Africa sent a security delegation to Pakistan to perform a feasibility assessment for the tour.[17] South Africa last toured Pakistan in October 2007.[18] On 16 January 2021, the PCB named the match officials for the tour. Aleem Dar, who has been the on-field umpire for 132 Tests prior to the tour, stood in his first Test match at home.[19] Ahsan Raza also made his debut as an on-field umpire in Test cricket.[20]
In December 2020, Pakistan's Shadab Khan suffered an injury ahead of the Test series against New Zealand.[25] On 26 December 2020, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed that he had been ruled out of the second Test against New Zealand,[26] and the Test matches at home against South Africa.[27] Before South Africa departed for the tour, Ottniel Baartman was ruled out of their Test squad, with Marco Jansen named as his replacement.[28] On 24 January 2021, the PCB confirmed that seventeen players would be available for selection for the first Test match,[29] with Abdullah Shafique, Kamran Ghulam and Agha Salman staying with the squad for training sessions.[30] The PCB also retained the same seventeen players for selection for the second Test match.[31]