Champions Trophy SA vs ENG: Pitch report and key stats of Karachi stadium

The match between South Africa and England is the last Group B match of ICC Champions Trophy 2025

South Africa and England will compete in the 11th group-stage match of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, set to be played at the historic National Stadium in Karachi on Saturday, March 1.

 

South Africa, led by Temba Bavuma, started their tournament on a high note with a convincing victory over Afghanistan. Meanwhile, England’s campaign has been disappointing, as they have already been eliminated after consecutive losses.

 

As the two teams prepare for this contest, attention turns to how the Karachi pitch will influence the game.

 

Karachi cricket stadium: pitch report for SA vs ENG Champions Trophy clash 

 

The National Stadium in Karachi has provided a fair contest between batters and bowlers in the Champions Trophy 2025. While batters have thrived on the pitch’s pace and bounce during the afternoon, bowlers have found assistance later in the game. The surface does not offer much seam movement, making variation and hitting the deck crucial for pacers. As the match progresses, the pitch is likely to slow down, bringing spinners into play. Given that teams batting first have won both matches at this venue, the toss-winning team may opt to set a total to capitalize on the conditions. 

Pitch report from Karachi: It's pretty warm out here, the good news is that there is no chance of rain today. Talking about the dimensions, 62m to my left and 67m to my right and 79m down the ground. It's the quickest outfield in the tournament so there's value for shots. A lot of cracks, looks very Australian in nature, it's not going to hurt the batters much. After dark, it turns more for the spinners. South Africa have already played here against Afghanistan so that gives them an advantage. It looks like a very good surface for batting, reckon Shaun Pollock and Ramiz Raja.

 

 

Karachi Cricket Stadium: Key Stats

 

The National Stadium in Karachi has hosted 57 ODIs, with the home side (Pakistan) winning 26, the visiting teams securing 22 victories, and neutral teams winning 7 matches, while 2 games ended with no result. The venue has seen an almost equal success rate for teams batting first (27 wins) and chasing (28 wins). The highest team total recorded here is 374/4 by India against Hong Kong in 2008, while the lowest total is 115 all out by Bangladesh against Pakistan in 2008. The highest successful chase was 355/4 by Pakistan against South Africa in 2025, whereas the lowest total successfully defended was 258/7 by West Indies against Pakistan in 1987. The average first-innings score at this ground is 247. Individually, Viv Richards holds the highest score (181 off 125 balls vs Sri Lanka in 1987), while Ajantha Mendis recorded the best bowling figures (6/13 in 8 overs vs India in 2008). The stadium has witnessed 38 centuries, 146 fifties, 319 sixes, and 2,235 fours. The highest partnership stands at 260 runs, shared by Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Ali Agha for Pakistan against South Africa in 2025. 

 

Highest team totals in Karachi cricket stadium (ODIs)

 

Team	Score	Overs	RR	Inns	Opposition	Ground	Result	Date
India	374/4	50	7.48	1	Hong Kong	Karachi	Won	25-Jun-08
West Indies	360/4	50	7.2	1	Sri Lanka	Karachi	Won	13-Oct-87
Pakistan	355/4	49	7.24	2	South Africa	Karachi	Won	12-Feb-25
Pakistan	353/6	50	7.06	1	England	Karachi	Won	15-Dec-05
South Africa	352/5	50	7.04	1	Pakistan	Karachi	Lost	12-Feb-25
India	349/7	50	6.98	1	Pakistan	Karachi	Won	13-Mar-04
Pakistan	347/5	50	6.94	1	Zimbabwe	Karachi	Won	21-Jan-08
Pakistan	344/8	50	6.88	2	India	Karachi	Lost	13-Mar-04
Pakistan	334/6	50	6.68	1	New Zealand	Karachi	Won	05-May-23
Sri Lanka	332/8	50	6.64	1	Bangladesh	Karachi	Won	30-Jun-08