Pakistan strengthened their spin attack further by including left-arm spinnerAsif Afridi in their XI for the second Test against South Africa. Afridi joined Noman Ali and Sajid Khan in the spin attack, and at 38 years and 299 days, became the second-oldest player to debut for Pakistan.
Like in the first Test, the pitch once again offered assistance to the spinners. Despite half-centuries from Abdullah Shafique 57, Shan Masood 85, and Saud Shakeel 66, Pakistan suffered a dramatic collapse, tumbling from 316/5 to 333 all out, as Keshav Maharaj 7/102 and Simon Harmer 2/75 shared nine wickets between them.
Afridi was introduced as the fourth bowler in Pakistan's attack. South Africa countered the spin threat effectively for some time, with Tristan Stubbs 76 and Tony de Zorzi 55 taking them to 167/2. However, Afridi broke the stand, trapping both batters leg-before on either side of the dismissals of Dewald Brevis and Kyle Verreynne.