Pakistan, Azerbaijan aim to strengthen partnership in infrastructure, energy and trade

KARACHI: Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Agha cracked centuries to guide Pakistan into the tri-series final with a thumping six-wicket win over South Africa in Karachi on Wednesday.

Rizwan led Pakistan’s highest successful chase in all one-day internationals of 353 in 49 overs with a magnificent 122 not out while Salman slammed 134 for his maiden century at the National Stadium.

Pakistan will now face New Zealand at the same venue on Friday in the final of the event which is a key warm-up for the Champions Trophy which starts next week.

The hundreds made by Rizwan and Salman overshadowed Matthew Breetzke’s record of scoring most runs by a batsman in his first two one-day internationals of 150 and 83.

Breetzke’s innings had set up an imposing South Africa total of 352-5.

Rizwan and Salman built a match-changing stand of 260, a new record for the fourth wicket for Pakistan, improving on the 206 scored by Shoaib Malik and Younis Khan against India at Centurion in 2009.

Their blistering innings should also erase doubts over the team’s vulnerable batting as they improved on Pakistan’s previous highest successful chase of 349 against Australia in Lahore in 2022.

Rizwan hit nine boundaries and three sixes off 128 balls while Salman’s 103-ball knock had 16 boundaries and two sixes.

Earlier, Breetzke followed his highest-ever debut score against New Zealand in Lahore on Monday with an attractive 84-ball 83, spiced with a six and 10 boundaries, after South Africa won the toss.

Breetzke bettered West Indian Desmond Haynes’s aggregate of 195 runs in his first two matches in 1978 before he fell to a brilliant catch off spinner Khushdil Shah.

Pakistan’s vaunted bowling attack failed to stop the tourists from scoring a big total, with skipper Temba Bavuma (82) and Heinrich Klaasen (87) also chipping in.

With wickets not falling, frustrated Pakistan fast bowler Shaheen Afridi angrily clashed with Breetzke as the batsman attempted to complete a run.

Shaheen made physical contact and exchanged words with his rival before umpire Asif Yaqoob separated the pair.

Bavuma and Tony de Zorzi (22), one of four changes in the South African team, put on 51 for the opening stand. The captain then built a second-wicket stand of 119 with Breetzke.

Bavuma was run out after cracking 13 boundaries in his 96-ball knock.

Klaasen lifted the tempo with a rapid 56-ball knock, smashing three sixes and 11 boundaries as the South Africans added 110 runs in the last 10 overs.

Kyle Verreynne and Corbin Bosch remained not out with 44 and 15 respectively to take South Africa past 350.

ISLAMABAD: The US Mission in Pakistan on Wednesday cautioned its citizens to avoid traveling to Islamabad’s iconic Faisal Mosque citing threats from the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) group, urging its nationals to keep a low profile and monitor local media for updates. 
The statement from the American mission comes days after a cryptic video was widely shared on social media, showing a person holding up a piece of paper in front of the Faisal Mosque with the TTP’s flag drawn on it. 
The TTP has carried out some of the deadliest attacks against Pakistani security forces and civilians since 2007. After a fragile truce between the banned outfit and the state broke down in November 2022, Pakistan has witnessed a surge in militant attacks in its northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province. 
“Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants have issued threats against Faisal Mosque, in Islamabad,” the US Mission in Pakistan wrote on its website. “The US Embassy Regional Security Office has prohibited US employee travel to the Faisal Mosque area until further notice.”
The iconic Faisal Mosque is spread over 54,000 square feet and has the capacity to accommodate over 250,000 people at a time. It houses hundreds of worshippers during prominent religious events and Friday congregational prayers. It is also a popular tourist resort for foreigners. 
The mission urged American nationals to avoid traveling to the area around the mosque, exercise caution and leave it if they find themselves unexpectedly in the vicinity of a large gathering or demonstration. It advised citizens to review their personal security plan, monitor local media for updates and “keep a low profile and be aware of your surroundings.”
It also urged US citizens to cooperation with Pakistani authorities and review the country security report for Pakistan. 
In September last year, the US embassy advised its nationals to reconsider traveling to Pakistan “due to terrorism” and “increased risks” of violence in some parts of the country amid a resurgence in militant violence. 
The embassy had advised citizens against traveling to the southwestern Balochistan province and KP, including the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) due to “terrorism.”
The TTP has carried out attacks in Pakistan as it seeks to impose their strict brand of Islam in the country. Pakistan has repeatedly urged Afghanistan to take action against the banned outfit in its territory, accusing the militants of using Afghan soil to launch attacks against it. The Taliban-led government in Afghanistan deny Pakistan’s accusations. 
Ties between the two countries deteriorated after Pakistan carried out cross-border strikes against alleged TTP targets in Afghanistan last year.