Spearhead Dale Steyn on Thursday said South Africa had shown remarkable resilience to turn things around after their defeat in the first Test against Pakistan.

South Africa currently lead a two-match Twenty20 series against Pakistan 1-0 after a comprehensive nine-wicket win in the first match in Dubai on Wedensday.

The second match is also in Dubai on Friday.

Steyn said South Africa got a massive wake-up call after a seven-wicket defeat in the first Test in Abu Dhabi last month.

"We got a masive wake-up call after we got a beating in the first Test and that's not the kind of cricket we wanted to play," he said.

"We all looked at ourselves and asked if this is the cricket we want to play and the answer was no, so we had to find the way of becoming a better team and I think we did."

South Africa won the second Test by an innings to draw the two-Test series and then won the five-match one-day series 4-1.

It was Steyn who wrecked Pakistan in the first Twenty20 with a burst of 3-15 in his four hostile overs, restricting them to 98-9 in 20 overs.

South Africa knocked off the target in 14.3 overs for the loss of just one wicket and Steyn said the tourists lifted both batting and bowling.

"We just showed a willingness not to give our wickets away and to make an impact with the ball and land the ball in the right areas and listening to the information that comes your way and these kind of things we did and that showed in our game," he said.

The 30-year-old Steyn was however full of praise for Pakistan, a side he described as "dangerous".

"They are a very good side and are dangerous. They are number two in the world and have dangerous guys who can take away the game."

Meanwhile, Steyn said he regretted laughing after getting Pakistan Twenty20 captain Mohammad Hafeez out for nought.

"I don't know what I did. It was a bit silly. I think I have got him out a couple of times now so you tend to do silly things and I kind of regret it afterwards but that is the kind of way I play the game and I accept the same thing from the opposition coming at me," he admitted.

Steyn has dismissed Hafeez eight times in seven Tests, three times in eight one-days and now once in Twenty20s.

After the current tour both teams move to South Africa to play two Twenty20s and three one-days between November 20-30.