CENTURION: South Africa tailenders Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen hung in against relentless fast bowler Mohammad Abbas for a tense two-wicket win in the first test on Sunday and sealed the Proteas’ place in next year’s World Test Championship final.
Jansen (16 not out) overshadowed Abbas’ brilliant figures of 6-54 with a square driven boundary against the fast bowler as South Africa reached 150-8 just after lunch on Day 4 and escaped with a close win in the two-match series.
Abbas, making a comeback after more than three years in the test wilderness, had knocked back South Africa’s tricky chase of 148 runs in a marathon 13-over spell before lunch on Day 4 as the home team limped to 99-8, losing four wickets for three runs.
However, Rabada changed gears in an unbroken 51-run stand with Jansen and made an unbeaten 31 off 26 balls with five fours to seal a memorable victory and denied Pakistan its first test win in South Africa in almost 18 years.
South Africa had started this WTC cycle with a loss against New Zealand, but since then the Proteas drew 1-1 in India and then went on to beat West Indies, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka to stay on top of the table.
India, Australia and Sri Lanka are the other teams still in contention for next June’s WTC final against South Africa at Lord’s.
Captain Temba Bavuma (40) and Aiden Markram (37) had thwarted Abbas for an hour after South Africa resumed at a wobbly 27-3, still needing 121 for victory.
Bavuma’s controversial dismissal punctuated a South Africa collapse in the latter half of first session with Abbas grabbing three off his six balls in a sensational home team collapse.
Bavuma, who made 40, surprisingly didn’t request a television review when replays suggested that Abbas’ ball had brushed the batter’s pocket and didn’t make contact with the inside edge of the bat but the South African skipper walked back to the dressing room.
Abbas bowled an unchanged marathon spell of 13 overs, but had to wait as Markram and Bavuma saw off eight overs from the fast bowlers.
Resuming at 27-3, Bavuma and Markram showed plenty of patience against Abbas’ probing line and length before the fast bowler finally got the breakthrough after the first drinks break.
Abbas was rewarded for his brilliant seam bowling when he beat the outside edge of Markram’s bat and knocked back the off stump.
Bavuma survived a couple of close chances when he successfully overturned an on-field lbw decision against him early in the day and Naseem Shah couldn’t hold onto a sharp catch at fine leg as he overstepped the boundary cushion while grabbing the ball over his head.
South Africa had controlled the game at 96-4 before Bavuma’s dismissal saw Abbas finding the outside edges of David Bedingham (14) and Corbin Bosch’s (0) bat off successive deliveries and in between Kyle Verreynne dragged Naseem Shah’s delivery back onto his stumps.
Abbas found the outside edge of Rabada’s bat in his first over after lunch that fell just short of wicketkeeper Rizwan before both tailenders took the team home.
South Africa seal place in World Test Championship final with a tense 2-wicket win against Pakistan
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South Africa seal place in World Test Championship final with a tense 2-wicket win against Pakistan
- Needing 148 runs to win, South Africa crashed to 99 for eight owing to superb bowling by Mohammad Abbas
- But Kagiso Rabada went on the attack, hitting 31 not out, before Marco Jansen hit the winning 16 runs
UAE’s AD Ports forms joint venture with Pakistani company to expand logistics footprint
- AD Ports Group announces joint venture with Pakistani logistics provider CEI Supply Chain Private Limited
- Says venture to help AD Ports directly link port infrastructure with inland logistics networks in Pakistan
ISLAMABAD: AD Ports Group announced on Thursday that it had formed a strategic joint venture (JV) with a Pakistan-based freight-forwarder and logistics provider, as the UAE-based group eyes expanding its footprint in the South Asian country.
AD Ports said in a press release that it has entered into a JV with CEI Supply Chain Private Limited, a premier logistics service provider in Pakistan. The venture will develop a robust and asset-light network delivering door-to-door solutions across the region.
The agreement was signed by both parties in Pakistan’s commercial hub Karachi in the presence of UAE Ambassador to Pakistan Salem Mohammed Al Zaabi and UAE Consul General in Karachi Dr. Bakheet Ateeq Alremeithi on Thursday, AD Ports said.
“Under terms of the agreement, AD Ports Group will acquire a 51 percent majority shareholding in the new entity, further solidifying its presence in Pakistan, a key South Asian market and gateway to the Group’s Central Asia corridor,” the press release said.
AD Ports said its strategic partnership with CEI Supply Chain represents a “significant step” in the company’s plans to directly link its port infrastructure with inland logistics networks.
It said the new venture will leverage CEI’s operational footprint in Pakistan, which includes key offices in major Pakistani urban centers of Karachi, Lahore, Sialkot and Islamabad.
“By integrating these local capabilities with AD Ports Group’s global reach, the joint venture aims to capture a significant share of the market, particularly in high-growth verticals such as automotive, retail, fast moving consumer goods (FMCG), and energy,” it added.
AD Ports said its new partnership will provide the JV with access to clients across the country and a solid base for market penetration.
The new venture will be consolidated into AD Ports Group starting in the first quarter of 2026, the UAE-based company said.
Abdulaziz Zayed Al Shamsi, regional CEO of AD Ports Group, described Pakistan as a “vital trade gateway” for the region, adding that the agreement was “a natural evolution of our presence.”
“This joint venture with CEI allows us to bridge the gap between port and final consumer, driving efficiency for our customers, and supporting our vision of developing Pakistan as a regional hub for the Middle Corridor and Central Asian markets,” he said.
AD PORTS’ PAKISTAN EXPANSION
The joint venture agreement caps a year of expansion for AD Ports in Pakistan, where the group has established itself as a major investor in the port of Karachi. In August 2025, the group inaugurated its first office in Islamabad to deepen government engagement and accelerate infrastructure initiatives.
AD Ports Group entered Pakistan in 2022 with a landmark 50-year concession to develop and operate container berths 6–10 at Karachi Port’s East Wharf in partnership with Kaheel Terminals. This was followed by a second 50-year agreement in 2023 to manage berths 11–17 for general and bulk cargo.
In July 2024, the group also signed an agreement to invest $250 million over the next decade in Pakistan with plans to develop a state-of-the-art port facility in the coastal city of Karachi.
AD Ports expansion coincides with Pakistan’s efforts to attract international investment, particularly from Gulf countries, with a focus on strategic sectors such as ports and shipping, aviation and logistics to drive sustainable economic growth.
