Match Report: Pakistan vs South Africa

When two evenly matched great teams collide, a great match is witnessed. The decision of the match depends on little things here and there since there is little to choose amongst the sides. When Pakistan clashed with South Africa today they had a lot to motivate them. They were riding a 12 game losing streak against the Africans. They had come off a loss at the hands of the lowly rated Bangladeshis. This game was to decide the bragging rights as to who is the best team in the tournament. It was quite ironic that though the South Africans were clearly the best team in the tournament the points system in this tournament is such that if they lost to Pakistan they would be way down in the table. In this tournament there have not been many great games and thus there isn’t any one man who has distinguished himself as the leader of the pack. There is one man however who was unbeaten in the tournament. His exploits with the bat have been very consistent without being phenomenal. After this game he would cross that barrier. Lance Klusener has not yet gotten out in this tournament and a hint as to the result of this game is that he is still unbeaten.

Pakistan won the toss and put South Africa in. Considering the track records of both the teams chasing totals, this was the right move from Wasim. I still do not understand why Waqar is not playing in this tournament. Afridi was dropped and Wasti played in his place. I do not understand that either. Afridi is dangerous and is bound to win atleast a couple of games for Pakistan and should be in the side. If he is not doing well on top he should be brought down to number 6 where he belongs. I have said that time and again. Azhar, who has been batting well, never gets enough overs to play. He always faces around 15 to 20 balls and if he faces more, Pakistan is in dire straits anyway. I would suggest opening with Azhar and playing Afridi down the order. Youhana was back in the side after injury. The start was steady. Pakistan did not lose any wickets in the first ten overs but Wasti never looked confident and was not trying to play any shots. Saeed was obviously being pressurized by this display of caution. Elworthy was brought into the attach after Pollock bowled accurately at the start and Kallis was wayward. Donald was on first change and was very accurate with a couple of maidens in his initial spell. Since Saeed was not getting much of the strike he wanted to take advantage of the new bowler and drove at Elworthy’s second ball without getting to the pitch of the ball. The ball bowled around the wicket, pitched and went away. It took the edge of Saeed’s bat and Pakistan were one down for 41.

Razzaq walked in and looked a bit more positive than he normally does but even then the score was stagnant. Wajahat ended his miserable stay when he nicked a Donald leg cutter to the keeper and Pakistan was 58/2 in 18.4. Ijaz walked in and made his intentions clear. He started with a flick to the boundary. It just goes to show that the best batsmen of your side should play the most overs. I do not understand indiscriminately sending pinch hitters at the top. The South Africans were still bowling very well and to their field. The fielding was spot-on although Rhodes dropped one at point that Saeed had offered in the 6th over. A straightforward catch that he snapped at since it was hit very hard. Just when Razzaq was starting to use the long handle he got out heaving one from Elworthy to the deep mid wicket boundary fielder Kirsten. Pakistan was 102/3 in 29.5 with Razzaq making 30 off 60. Wasti made 17 off 56 and these two had hogged most of the overs. Ijaz launched Klusener over mid on for a massive six but that got to his head as he tried to drive the next one over cover. Cullinan picked it up at cover falling to his right. I would not call it a dive, as he did not need to. Inzimam soon followed in a bizarre run out. Youhana played one to point and they ran a good run. Inzi had made his crease but did not ground the bat as the direct hit got him. Our best batsman needs a tongue lashing to concentrate harder in the game. All this attention towards his running has made him conscious. I thought that the earlier criticism was unwarranted and a ploy to get to Inzi’s head. Obviously the media has succeeded. I hope he launches himself out of this slump soon. We need him. Pakistan were 118/5 in 35.1 and in dire straits. When the going gets tough, the tough get going. Though Klusener is getting all the press, Moin Khan is quietly having a spectacular tournament. He has played some great innings already but none any better than what he did today. He steadied the ship and started to take singles with Youhana who is playing great for Pakistan. Unfortunately Yousuf injured his hammi again and Ijaz was called in to run for him. Cronje was not happy that Pakistan got the runner though I thought that was the sportsmanlike thing to do. Although the rules might state otherwise but he was cleared for this game and looked fine at the start of his innings. Ijaz ran Yousuf out in the 43rd over as he dived too early to a direct hit by Klusener. Azhar Mehmood came in with only 7 overs to go. And I do not believe that is enough time for a good batsman like him and thus I feel that he should come in earlier. Moin took care of business as he gave Donald the stick. He lifted Donald for a flicked six that sailed over square leg along with a couple of fours in that area too. Pollock also came in for some serious stick at the end to spoil his figures. When Moin was run out in the 49th over at 206 he had made 63 off 56. He was especially good on the on side and played fabulously. His innings was a slap in the face off the top order players who were making heavy weather of a not so dangerous bowling attack. Pakistan ended up with 220 and with a good bowling attack the match would be interesting.

Shoaib Akhtar just blasted the South Africans. He almost scared Gibbs to play one to point. Cronje walked in to lead from the front. Shoaib got him with one that hit the glove and went to the keeper but Umpire Hair declared it not out. That was quite unbelievable as the ball clearly took the glove and there was a loud sound. Cronje was out soon after slashing at Shoaib and Saqlain at third man holding the catch at the boundary. Kirsten started playing Wasim well but got used to the ball that leaves him to pad one that came back in. Wasim got the plumb LBW and South Africa were 39/3 in 10.6. Cullinan played with comfort but his temperament is questionable. He had negotiated the dangerous Akram and Akhtar but then wanted to hit Azhar out of the attack. Saeed bobbled the catch at cover but kept his eyes on it and caught it. Rhodes played one across the line to be LBW to Azhar and the Africans were 58/5. Pakistan were well on top at this stage. Kallis had been batting himself in at one end and Pollock played defensively to start a partnership. Azhar, Razzaq and Saqlain were operating at this stage and the two batsmen were playing them well. They kept the scoreboard ticking and played Saqlain especially well as they pierced the off side field for a couple of boundaries. The partnership was getting dangerous and had taken South Africa for about 125 when Shoaib was brought back for his second spell. Kallis was well set by this time and went after Shoaib.

A glorious cover drive for four and the Pakistanis were feeling the game slip away. Pollock was playing well too but tried to play one to third man once too often to edge Azhar to Inzimam. Azhar completed his quota with great figures of 3/23. Klusener, the man in form, walked in. he started playing himself in. At this juncture the batsmen complained about the ball color and the umpires decided to change it. This has happened to Pakistan twice and this one hurt. The older ball was harder to hit and Saqlain had started to ball well with it, spinning a couple. This new one would fly to the boundary when Shoaib was bowling and would not spin when Saqlain was on. Saqlain had a lot of overs left as he was brought on late in the 24th or so over. Every Pakistani was visibly irate and Wasim was heard as saying “This is not fair” to the umpire. Shoaib shouted some obscenities and threw the ball in disgust. He got fired up though and produced a couple of really fast balls to Kallis and swore at him. Kallis barely missed a bouncer that sailed over his and the keeper’s head for four. Five in total. Though Kallis was visibly shaken, Pakistan was giving away easy runs. Kallis tried to hoik Saqlain out of the attack and top edged one that Moin ran back and caught it. South Africa were 176/7 in 44.2 and Pakistan had taken a firm grip on the match. The run rate was over 7 and a ½. Shoaib had a couple of overs and Wasim had two while Saqlain was to bowl the rest. I have always felt that an off spinner should never bowl at the end since a perfect off spinner can be hit for a six but a perfect yorker can not. However, Shoaib was the one who got carried away. He was still mad at the ball change and came after Klusener. South Africa had all the luck and were meant to win as Klusener top edged one that dropped a couple of paces ahead of a diving Azhar at fine leg. It could have gone anywhere but it landed away from the fielder and over the ropes. Klusener clubbed the next one over mid wicket for a clean 6. Then another leg bye went fine for four. The over had produced 17 and the required run rate was back down to 5 and a ½ and well in reach now. Just to show that the gods were not on Pakistan’s side, Wasim got Boucher plumb in front of leg stump but Shepherd said not out. Wasim was unhappy and to rub salt in it, Klusener launched him for a six over mid wicket and the game had turned completely. Boucher just heaved a good ball from Saqlain and connected. It landed over the mid wicket fence for 6. It was just meant to be. On the last ball of the 49th over Klusener hit one straight up and Saeed dropped it at cover. The South African ran two to win but had Saeed held on, it would have been Elworthy to face Shoaib with two to win with Donald to follow. Alas that did not happen.

It was a great game of cricket no doubt. The Pakistanis would be emotionally drained by this game. They have not yet removed the monkey off their backs. South Africa won their 13th straight against Pakistan. Klusener got 46 off 41 and is still unbeaten in the tournament and got another (4th) man of the match award. I hope they play again as Pakistan has a score to settle. And speaking of scores to settle, Pakistan play India next. Pakistan has played India twice before in World Cup competition, they have yet to register a W.