Pakistan and South Africa’s women’s cricket rivalry has quietly become one of the most competitive fixtures outside the traditional “Big Three” of Australia, England, and India, and the Pakistan women’s national cricket team vs South Africa women’s national cricket team timeline reveals a genuinely even contest rather than a one-sided script. Across bilateral T20I and ODI series, ICC Women’s T20 World Cup meetings, and a memorable tied ODI, these two sides have traded series wins almost evenly since 2014, making every new tour a genuine coin-toss on paper.
South Africa Women hold a slight edge in bilateral series wins since 2019, but Pakistan Women have won series in 2014/15 and 2023, and beat South Africa in a T20I during their most recent tour of South Africa in February 2026, proving this rivalry has never been one-directional.
Why This Rivalry Deserves More Attention
Most global cricket coverage skips past Pakistan-South Africa women’s fixtures in favor of marquee names, but that overlooks a rivalry built on genuinely contrasting team identities. South Africa Women lean on power-hitting depth and a settled top order, while Pakistan Women have built their competitiveness around canny spin bowling and improved fielding standards under recent leadership groups. Anyone researching the Pakistan women’s national cricket team vs South Africa women’s national cricket team timeline will notice that nearly every series between them has gone to a decider, a pattern that’s rare in modern women’s international cricket.
Pakistan and South Africa women’s teams have played bilateral ODI and T20I series regularly since 2014, along with meetings at ICC Women’s World Cup and Women’s T20 World Cup events, with results split closely between both nations rather than dominated by either side.
Read more: Pakistan women’s national cricket team vs South Africa women’s national cricket team timeline.
Complete Head-to-Head Timeline (2010–2026)
Here is the chronological, verified series-by-series breakdown that anyone researching this matchup needs, drawn directly from official series records.
| Year | Competition | Format | Result |
| 2010/11 | ICC Women’s T20 Challenge (multi-team, South Africa) | T20I | West Indies Women won the tri-series |
| 2013/14 | PCB Qatar Women’s Tri-Series | T20I | Pakistan Women won |
| 2014/15 | Pakistan vs South Africa T20I Series (UAE) | T20I | Pakistan Women won 2-1 |
| 2019 | Pakistan Women in South Africa | ODI | Series drawn 1-1, including a tied ODI |
| 2019 | Pakistan Women in South Africa | T20I | South Africa Women won 3-2 |
| 2020/21 | Pakistan Women in South Africa | T20I | South Africa Women won 2-1 |
| 2020/21 | Pakistan Women in South Africa | ODI | South Africa Women won 3-0 |
| 2023 | South Africa Women in Pakistan (Karachi) | T20I | Pakistan Women won 3-0 |
| 2023 | South Africa Women in Pakistan (Karachi) | ODI | South Africa Women won 2-1 |
| 2024 | South Africa Women in Pakistan (Multan) | T20I | South Africa Women won 2-1 |
| 2025 | South Africa Women in Pakistan (Lahore) | ODI | South Africa Women won 2-1 |
| Oct 2025 | ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup (Colombo) | ODI | Group-stage meeting |
| Feb 2026 | Pakistan Women in South Africa (Potchefstroom/Benoni) | T20I | South Africa Women won 2-1, with Pakistan winning the final T20I by 53 runs |
| Feb-Mar 2026 | Pakistan Women in South Africa (Durban) | ODI | South Africa Women won the series, Pakistan won one match by 119 runs |
| 2026 | ICC Women’s T20 World Cup | T20I | Group-stage meeting between both sides |
This table is the core reference point for the Pakistan women’s national cricket team vs South Africa women’s national cricket team timeline, and it shows a rivalry defined by momentum swings rather than sustained dominance by either country.
The 2019 Tied ODI: A Rare Rivalry Milestone
One of the most historically significant results in this fixture came in 2019, when Pakistan and South Africa tied an ODI during Pakistan’s tour of South Africa. Tied matches remain rare in international women’s cricket, making this result a genuine talking point whenever the rivalry’s history comes up. It also set the tone for a series that finished drawn 1-1, an early signal that these two sides were far more evenly matched than global rankings suggested at the time.
Bilateral Series History Explained
Bilateral tours have formed the backbone of this rivalry, with both nations touring each other’s conditions regularly enough to build a genuine competitive rhythm. South Africa’s pace-friendly, high-bounce pitches in venues like Potchefstroom, Benoni, and Durban have generally rewarded South Africa’s seam attack, while Pakistan’s home tracks in Lahore, Karachi, and Multan have tended to neutralize that advantage through slower, spin-friendly conditions.
T20I Series Breakdown
Pakistan’s strongest bilateral stretch came early, winning the 2014/15 T20I series in the UAE 2-1 and later dominating South Africa 3-0 in Karachi during 2023. South Africa has answered with series wins in 2019, 2020/21, and 2024, generally when matches were played on pacier South African surfaces. The most recent T20I series, played in South Africa in February 2026, followed the same script-South Africa won the series 2-1, but Pakistan’s 53-run victory in the decider showed real fight rather than a routine defeat.
ODI Series Breakdown
The 50-over format has leaned more consistently toward South Africa Women, who won ODI series in 2020/21, 2023, 2025, and again in early 2026. Pakistan’s most notable ODI response came during the 2026 South Africa tour, winning one match in Durban by a commanding 119 runs, a scoreline that shows Pakistan’s batting depth can occasionally overwhelm South Africa’s bowling attack when conditions and form align.
ICC Tournament Meetings: World Cups and Global Events
Beyond bilateral cricket, Pakistan and South Africa have crossed paths at genuine global stages, adding extra weight to their head-to-head record.
ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025
Pakistan and South Africa met in the group stage of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025, held in Colombo, Sri Lanka, in October 2025. Group-stage meetings at 50-over World Cups carry direct implications for semifinal qualification, making this fixture far more consequential than a standard bilateral clash.
ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026
The two sides also faced off in the group stage of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026, continuing a pattern of ICC events regularly pairing these two nations in the same group or knockout bracket. South Africa’s recent T20 World Cup pedigree, including a run to the final in the 2023 edition, has made these group meetings a genuine measuring stick for how far Pakistan’s white-ball program has progressed against a top-four nation.
Tactical Patterns Behind the Results
Numbers alone don’t explain why this rivalry stays close-the tactical picture matters just as much.
South Africa’s Game Plan
South Africa’s approach typically centers on an aggressive top-order start followed by disciplined death bowling, a formula built around finishing partnerships and containing boundary options in the back half of an innings. This template has worked especially well on South African soil, where extra pace and bounce reward South Africa’s seam-heavy attack.
Pakistan’s Counter-Strategy
Pakistan’s competitive results have generally come from using spin early to control the middle overs, then relying on middle-order stability to post or chase competitive totals. The 119-run ODI win in Durban and the 53-run T20I win in Benoni both came on tours where Pakistan’s bowlers restricted South Africa’s top order below its usual scoring rate, proof that Pakistan’s method works even away from home when execution is sharp.
Notable Players Who’ve Shaped the Rivalry
Laura Wolvaardt has been a central figure for South Africa Women in recent seasons, anchoring the top order across formats and playing a key role in South Africa’s rise up the global rankings. On Pakistan’s side, captaincy has evolved through Bismah Maroof and, more recently, Fatima Sana, both instrumental in Pakistan’s series wins in 2023 and their competitive showings during the 2026 South Africa tour. Squad compositions shift regularly, so readers tracking current team news should check official team pages for the latest lineups.
Frequently Asked Questions
Have Pakistan Women ever beaten South Africa Women in a series?
Yes. Pakistan won the 2014/15 T20I series 2-1 in the UAE and swept South Africa 3-0 in the 2023 T20I series played in Karachi.
What was the result of the tied match between Pakistan and South Africa?
Pakistan and South Africa tied an ODI during their 2019 series in South Africa, one of the rarest results possible in the format.
Who won the most recent bilateral series between these teams?
South Africa Women won the most recent T20I and ODI series during Pakistan’s 2026 tour of South Africa, though Pakistan won individual matches in each series.
Has South Africa Women ever lost by a big margin to Pakistan?
Yes, Pakistan won an ODI in Durban during the 2026 tour by 119 runs, one of the largest margins recorded in this fixture.
Do Pakistan and South Africa meet in ICC World Cups?
Yes, both teams met in the group stage of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 in Colombo and again at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026.
Which format has South Africa dominated more-ODIs or T20Is?
South Africa has generally had greater success in ODIs, winning series in 2020/21, 2023, 2025, and 2026, though Pakistan has had stronger spells in T20I bilateral cricket.
Who are the key batters to watch in this rivalry?
Laura Wolvaardt leads South Africa’s batting order, while Pakistan’s batting has relied on senior campaigners alongside emerging middle-order players in recent series.
Where do Pakistan and South Africa usually play their bilateral matches?
Pakistan hosts matches in Lahore, Karachi, and Multan, while South Africa typically hosts fixtures in Potchefstroom, Benoni, and Durban.
Has this rivalry ever gone to a series decider?
Yes, multiple series between these teams, including 2014/15, 2019, 2020/21, 2024, and the 2026 T20I series, have gone to a final match decider.
Is Pakistan closing the gap on South Africa in women’s cricket?
Recent results suggest yes, Pakistan’s series win in 2023 and strong individual match wins during the 2026 South Africa tour indicate a narrowing gap between the two sides.