- Sunday's 2nd ODI between the Proteas and Pakistan at the Wanderers will be the 9th edition of the annual Pink Day fixture.
- Temba Bavuma and his troops will be desperate to rekindle their winning form in this fixture.
- Sport24 takes a closer look at the Pink jamboree's exciting history.
While Covid-19 means the occasion won't have any fans present, Sunday's 2nd ODI between the Proteas and Pakistan at the Wanderers will be the 9th edition of the annual Pink Day fixture.
South Africa dominated one of the showpiece events of the local cricketing calendar before their selfsame opponents this weekend abruptly stopped a six-win sequence two years ago.
That defeat led to a hangover against world champions England last season, leaving Temba Bavuma and his troops desperate to rekindle their winning habit in this fixture.
Sport24 looks back at the Pink jamboree's history.
17 March 2013 v Pakistan– Proteas won by 34 runs
CSA couldn’t have asked for a more thrilling match to launch the event.
After stumbling to 42/2 in the 14th over against a quality attack, it was scarcely believable that South Africa ended on 343/5.
Hashim Amla was typically elegant in crafting 122 off 113 deliveries and had a perfect foil in AB de Villiers, who made a 108-ball 128 as the two men added a record 238 for the third wicket.
Faf du Plessis slammed an unbeaten 45 off 19.
The Proteas seemed on course for a comfortable victory before Shahid Afridi produced the type of showmanship that only he was capable of.
Seven sixes flew off his blade as he smashed a magnificent 48-ball 88, the highlight being the maximum that skyrocketed over the Centenary Stand after he was castled off a no-ball the delivery before.
* The Proteas's average total after the first three fixtures was a mammoth 380
* AB de Villiers scored 450 runs in five Pink ODI innings at an average of 112.50
* The 439/2 made against the West Indies in 2015 is still South Africa's highest ever score in ODIs.
* The fixture has traditionally been tough on the bowlers. Only twice in 8 matches have bowlers taken four or more wickets in an innings. Kagiso Rabada took 4/45 against England in 2016, while Pakistan's Usman Shinwari's 4/35 in 2019 is the best figures in the fixture.
5 December 2013 v India – Proteas won by 141 runs
South Africa had a point to prove after the BCCI’s stand-off with CSA over the appointment of then CEO Haroon Lorgat meant a lucrative tour was cut to the bare bone.
Having made breakthrough with a maiden ODI century a few weeks back against Pakistan, Quinton de Kock began working on his status as a superstar with a splendid 135 off 121.
He had great support from Amla, who made 65.
De Villiers (77 not out) and JP Duminy (59 not out) applied the brutal finishing touch to a hefty total of 358/5.
The Indians were apathetic with the bat as only MS Dhoni (65) provided any real resistance against a menacing attack led by Dale Steyn, who finished with 3/25.
18 January 2015 v West Indies – Proteas won by 148 runs
Despite numerous records being eclipsed that day, only one stood out – De Villiers’ stupendous 31-ball hundred.
Coming in after Amla, who would finish with an unbeaten 153, and Rilee Rossouw put on 247 for the first wicket, the Proteas skipper unleashed an astonishing array of strokes as he galloped to the fastest ODI century in history.
He hit an incredible 16 sixes on his way to 149 off, wait for it, 44 balls to leave the West Indian bowlers in a state of shock.
Armed with a total of 439/2, the South African bowlers didn’t fire on all cylinders, but still had too much firepower for the visitors.
12 February 2016 v England – Proteas won by 1 wicket
South Africa’s unbeaten record in the fixture was under threat several times in another classic encounter.
Chasing 263, the hosts looked dead and buried when England reduced them to 210/8.
Had the visitors pounced, they would’ve walked away with the series honours too.
However, they didn’t bank on Chris Morris’ audacious assault.
Finding a neat ally in Kyle Abbott, the lanky all-rounder farmed the strike and flew to 62 off just 38 deliveries to save his side’s bacon.
Earlier, Joe Root made a classy 109 as Kagiso Rabada and Imran Tahir shared seven wickets.
4 February 2017 v Sri Lanka – Proteas won by 7 wickets
The only real excitement in an anti-climactic encounter was when play had to be stopped for 65 minutes when a swarm of bees descended on the Bullring.
A bucket of cola and fire extinguishers were used in an attempt to disperse them, but nothing worked until Pierre Heefer, a hobbyist beekeeper, raced to the ground to offer his expertise after watching the “drama” on television.
Once play resumed, Sri Lanka slumped to 163 all out against a disciplined and varied attack.
De Villiers’ unbeaten 60 made the Proteas’ mission a stroll.
10 February 2018 v India – Proteas won by 5 wickets
Hampered by injuries and under pressure due to poor form, South Africa were on the backfoot again against a rampant Indian XI.
Rohit Sharma (109) and Virat Kohli (75) were powering the visitors before a good comeback in the second half of the innings saw the hosts restrict their opponents to 289/7.
A thunderstorm meant the Proteas’ task became decidedly tricky as they had 28 overs to make 202.
After a shaky start, David Miller and Heinrich Klaasen belatedly gave the dynamic spin duo of Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal a taste of their own medicine to revive their side’s chances.
Andile Phehlukwayo settled the issue with a spectacular five-ball 23.
27 January 2019 v Pakistan – Pakistan won by 7 wickets
South Africa’s sequence of six successive victories came to a shuddering halt as a typically mercurial Pakistan combination flexed their collective muscle.
Amla and Du Plessis showed their experience in compiling a 101-run third wicket stand, before the latter’s dismissal brought about an embarrassing collapse in which the Proteas lost their last eight wickets for 45 runs.
Usman Shinwari was the destroyer-in-chief with 4/35.
Imam-ul-Haq’s solid 71 meant the Pakistanis’ chase of 165 was never in doubt.
9 February 2020 v England – England won by 2 wickets
In all honesty, the eventual victory margin was only superficially narrow.
Put into bat by the new world champions, the Proteas scraped a total of 256/7 together, with only David Miller’s unbeaten 69 capitalising on a good platform set at the top by De Kock, who made 69 too.
An inexperienced attack found it hard to keep a lid on the eternally aggressive Englishmen’s run rate, exemplified by Jonny Bairstow’s 23-ball 43 at the top of the order.
The only way South Africa could win was by bowling England out.
Ironically, they came far closer than they really should’ve as the visitors nearly imploded with the finish line in sight.