Pakistan collapsed to the spin of Roelof van der Merwe and Johan Botha as South Africa eased to a 59-run victory in their World Twenty20 warm-up match at Trent Bridge.
The 2007 finalist appeared on course to challenge South Africa's 7-186, on 2-62 in the ninth over - only to lose its next five wickets for 19 runs.
Once Graeme Smith - who had earlier top-scored with 70 off 53 balls - took the pace off the ball, his spinners put paid to Pakistan.
Opener Ahmed Shahzad was undone lbw by Van der Merwe, and the same bowler collected a sharp return catch to see off captain Younus Khan.
The remainder of the Pakistan batsmen never threatened a significant contribution.
The match was therefore over as a contest long before Saeed Ajmal was last out, to a nonchalant running catch by Smith off Wayne Parnell, in a paltry total of 127 all out - with two balls unused.
Shahid Afridi's bowling and fielding had earlier kept Pakistan in with a chance, as South Africa failed to make the most of a great start with the bat.
It looked set for a massive total, with captain Smith and Jacques Kallis racking up an 80-run opening stand in just 9.2 overs.
But after off-spinner Ajmal had dismissed Kallis, South Africa gave way to the guile of Afridi's leg-spin.
Afridi had Smith stumped as he advanced down the pitch. He then had Herschelle Gibbs playing on and ran out the dangerous AB de Villiers with a direct hit.
South Africa lost six wickets for 51 runs in five overs, and it took some telling late hitting from all-rounder Albie Morkel to ensure a competitive total after all.
That it eventually proved so far beyond Pakistan was more a product of batsmen's frailties than outstanding expertise from South Africa's bowlers.