Sunday, October 21, 2007

'We worked really hard' - Smith


South Africa's first Test win in the subcontinent against major opposition for over seven years (not counting a series win over Bangladesh) was a small matter of a job done extremely well.

Their preparations for the series were hardly ideal. Andrew Hall quit international cricket, Jacques Kallis resigned from the vice-captaincy and Mark Boucher was fined for his thoughts on the development. Missing the semi-finals of the ICC World Twenty20, a tournament many considered theirs for the taking and which they hosted, made South Africa equal, if not second-best for the Test in Karachi.

Further, they had all of five days in Pakistan to prepare for the Test, their pace attack threatened not only by the searing Karachi temperatures but also by a pitch tailor-made for spin. They lost Morne Morkel through injury and opted to rest the veteran Shaun Pollock. Not many would have bet on the visitors delivering as thorough a performance as witnessed, regrettably, by very few spectators.

No wonder then Graeme Smith, South Africa's captain, was so pleased with the win. "Most of us are very emotional in the dressing room as we have only a handful of wins in the subcontinent. To come here and win the first Test after only a few days in Pakistan and to have played better cricket in these conditions is very, very special for all of us."

A fully deserved win it was too for the tourists, who played much better cricket. "I think we played cricket with our brains and on the back of some great fitness levels and solid technique.

"We worked really hard throughout this Test match in order to get this victory. I've had some really good Test wins and some really good one-day wins in my career but this is certainly right up there."

Jacques Kallis, declared the Man of the Match for scores of 155 and an unbeaten 100, took the game away from Pakistan on the first day. Geoff Lawson, Pakistan's coach, called him the "difference between the two teams" and though Kallis played two contrasting innings, both hurt Pakistan equally hard. Not content with the damage he caused with the bat, Kallis took a stunning catch in the slips and chipped in with the ball.

Abdur Rehman, the debutant, outshone and outclassed Danish Kaneria, his senior partner, so it was that South Africa's lone spinner, Paul Harris caused Pakistan batsmen the most problems on a pitch prepared to "the home side's strength". It was Paul Harris' first time in the subcontinent and he took seven wickets.

It wasn't just their spinners. Umar Gul and Mohammad Asif managed only three wickets in the match - Asif surprisingly did not feature at all on day four - while the South African fast-bowlers, bar Makhaya Ntini, bowled with pace and aggression and obtained bounce, or lack of, at times, on a pitch that crumbled from day one and grabbed 13. Dale Steyn's pace stood out on the final day, picking up his third five-wicket haul, his second in the subcontinent.

"When you initially look at the wicket I don't think you can sum up how many wickets would you take," Steyn said. "Our whole game plan was to work around Harris. Eventually one or two balls stayed very low and things went our way and my way and we ended up with a win."

To round things off, as ever, the South Africans were sharper in the field. Kallis was dropped twice before reaching his hundred in the first innings while Hashim Amla added 69 after being dropped by Misbah-ul-Haq. Both batsmen paid Pakistan back, with interest, as Kallis took a blinder in the slips while Amla yanked out a stunner just before it hit the ground and took another good one on the final day.

Only a change in conditions await the South Africans as they head to Lahore for the second Test. With reports of overcast conditions up north, it will further please the visiting team and their fast bowlers. Pakistan meanwhile will scratch their heads for a suitable combination.

© Faras Ghani 2007
Published on Cricinfo 5th Oct 2007

Magic ball and curse of the Twenty20s

Magic ball
Abdur Rehman may have bowled many good deliveries in his career but probably none better than the one with which he dismissed AB de Villiers. Rehman came round the wicket and looped one that landed outside the leg stump. As de Villiers leant forward, hoping to play against the spin, the ball turned sharply and evaded his turning bat to peg back off stump. Unaware of what had happened, de Villiers lunged back towards the crease. As Rehman celebrated wildly, the dismissal brought to mind how Herschelle Gibbs was outdone by Shane Warne in the 1999 World Cup semi-final.

Curse of the Twenty20s
As Mohammad Hafeez strode out to open the innings, a mammoth target of 424 welcomed him on the new scoreboard. The words patience and concentration would have been drilled into him in the dressing room. But as Dale Steyn fired in a wide delivery in the second over, Hafeez played a loose shot - something between a drive and a cut - and only managed to drag it back on to his stumps. Hafeez may still be in Twenty20 mode, as a lot of Pakistan batsmen are, but it was still an awful dab of the bat and completed a disappointing match for the allrounder.

Seize of the day
Salman Butt, the other opener, had a point to prove in the match after failures in the recent past. He stuck around for 14 deliveries and was unlucky to be dismissed when an inside edge off his pad made its way to short leg. Hashim Amla, out of nowhere, yanked out his right hand and just about managed to slide his fingers under the ball before it touched the grass. The decision was referred to the third umpire and was upheld.

A change of gears and hands
With Paul Harris spinning the ball and troubling the batsmen, Graeme Smith decided to bring himself into the attack to add pressure. He bowled a good first over as Younis Khan only managed a flick to fine leg. In Smith's next, however, Younis targeted the third-man boundary. Down on one knee, Younis reverse-swept two consecutive over-pitched deliveries for fours and forced a change in the field. As Smith held back the line of the next delivery, Younis charged down for a mighty six over midwicket. Smith was not seen at the bowling crease again.

© Faras Ghani 2007
Published on Cricinfo 4th Oct 2007

Significant stumpings and a six

Change of action
The third day Karachi pitch was hardly favourable for fluent batting, but Andre Nel's change of actions in the fourth over would have made things a tad more difficult for the batsmen. He strode in with a normal delivery but then followed one up forming a semi-circle in the air from halfway through his run-up to the wicket. Ending up as a mix between Wasim Akram and Curtly Ambrose, Nel was cut away past point for four. He then tried a Waqar Younis; shielding the ball from the batsmen's searching eyes as he leapt into his bowling stride with both hands together.

Significant six
Shoaib Malik was embedded in a spirited rearguard, inching his side towards the follow-on target. He brought his fifty up with a checked straight drive, celebrated it by driving the following ball through extra cover and in the next Paul Harris over, he jigged down the pitch to swat him for a huge straight six. The ball went missing temporarily but a nice way, nonetheless, to bring up your 1000th Test run, in your first Test as captain.

Pierce this, Salman
With a four-man pace attack, South Africa started the innings with a half-umbrella field - a tactic often seen on bouncy pitches across the world. However, as Kallis strode in to bowl the 76th over of the innings, with the ball scuffed up by a dry outfield and a dusty pitch, Salman Butt was honoured with an 8-1 offside field; a slip, a fly slip, backward point, two short covers, short extra-cover, a normal cover and a mid-off. Spare some pity for the lone mid-on in the heat as Kallis duly responded with a wide outside off stump.

Stumped
Mark Boucher doesn't often get a chance to stump a batsman. Before this innings, he had only 16 from 102 Tests. But today he pulled off two in an innings: Malik and Umar Gul st Boucher b Harris. Stumping 17 brought him level with Ian Healy's record for most dismissals and the next took him past it.

Is that you Gordon?
Danish Kaneria is apparently working hard on his batting and to prove it he even managed his first first-class fifty this season, 65 for Essex in the County Championship. Many in Pakistan might not have seen that innings, so Kaneria decided to show everyone just what he was capable of in a little cameo at the end of Pakistan's innings. First he stepped back and with a Caribbean flourish, flayed Andre Nel past point. But his best came soon after, when a short ball from Dale Steyn was pulled, while swivelling round and pivoting on one foot. Somewhere, Gordon Greenidge would've nodded his approval.

© Faras Ghani and Osman Samiuddin 2007
Published on Cricinfo 3rd Oct 2007

'If you play enough, there will be records to break'

Mark Boucher missed a chance to equal Ian Healy's world record of most Test dismissals as he let an Abdur Rehman edge fly past him in the second over of the morning. However, as the day progressed, and as Shoaib Malik carried Pakistan towards temporary safety, a Paul Harris turner evaded a slash of Malik's bat and provided Boucher with another opportunity. This time, he took it with both hands.

Six overs later, as the Pakistan dressing room celebrated passing the follow-on mark, Umar Gul danced down the pitch and heaved mightily towards the leg. Missing the ball - although Boucher later claimed the batsman had edged it - Gul was stranded in the middle as Boucher removed the bails while removing Healy's name from the record list; Boucher now had 396 dismissals in 103 Tests, only 18 of those stumped.

Playing down the significance of his achievement, Boucher said: "I have played a lot of Tests in my career so it [the record] was coming in a way. I've never been a person for stats, but if you play enough matches there will be plenty of records to break."

Clearly satisfied with his performance, Boucher was all praise for the person whose record he had broken.

"It is a great feeling for me especially to be breaking someone like Healy's record. I used to watch him on TV as a kid and I'm a little sad in a way to be going past Healy," he said.

Gerald Majola, the chief executive of Cricket South Africa, congratulated Boucher on breaking the record and said there was no doubt his final tally would be difficult to overtake. "Mark has been a stalwart of the Proteas team for over a decade now, and his world record is a worthy reward for his outstanding achievements as both a wicketkeeper and lower order batsman."

Boucher will have a chance to add to his tally as South Africa will hope to add quick runs in the morning and declare some time in the second session. With the ball turning sharply, and Pakistan batsmen willing to chase wide deliveries, he may even become the first wicketkeeper to break the 400-barrier.


© Faras Ghani 2007
Published on Cricinfo 3rd Oct 2007

Kaneria's 200 and Pakistan's Twenty20 hangover

Good morning, Pakistan
Jacques Kallis played with intent yesterday, scoring his 25th Test century, and taking the game away from the home side. Although he slowed down after reaching his hundred, he started in fifth gear this morning. In one over early on, Mohammad Asif was first guided down past point for a four, then driven, straight-backed to extra cover for another, and finally flicked to square leg for the third boundary of the over. The tone was already set.

Unlucky mate
Kamran Akmal has dropped too many catches recently, especially off Danish Kaneria. He gave Kallis a life yesterday on 36, but when the spinner came round the wicket today, Kallis having added 119, a faint edge was gratefully accepted. Someone quipped, 'caught Akmal' is the unluckiest dismissal in cricket today. The joy was obvious on Kaneria's face; the relief, on Akmal's.

Another catch, more joy
Having dismissed Kallis, Kaneria persisted in exploiting the rough outside the right-hander's leg-stump. However, as he pitched one on the middle to the left-handed Ashwell Prince, it was the lack of spin, and bounce, that resulted in a return catch, held with both hands and a beaming smile. The reason? It was wicket number 200, duly celebrated with fist-pumping and a turf kiss.

Catch of the day
Kallis might have thought his work was done when he was placed at first slip, perhaps aware of Mohammad Hafeez's frailties outside off. Paul Harris was getting sharp turn and bounce and Hafeez, bogged down by an immaculate line and some sharp fielding, tried guiding one such ball past slip. Out shot a diving right hand, however, and duly followed a walk to the pavilion, Kallis taking a startling catch inches off the ground. He went on to take a wicket as well; not bad for a 31-year old not deemed right for his country's Twenty20 squad.

The way the pitch crumbles
Hashim Amla made it clear on the first day that this was a crumbling pitch and will only deteriorate more as time goes on. Younis Khan knows exactly what he means after he was dismissed by Andre Nel. Pitched at a three-quarter length, the ball should have easily gone over the stumps. Instead, it crashed into the lower half of the middle stump, Younis almost doubled over. With one Paul Harris ball crashing into Mark Boucher's mouth, it isn't going to get any easier.

Are we in South Africa still?
Akmal and Hafeez were blazing away as Pakistan reached 52 for no loss after 10. It was, by far, their best start at the ICC World Twenty20 ... except of course, this wasn't Twenty20. With Akmal racing to 42 off 34 balls, it was easy to forget this was a Test match. When Misbah-ul-Haq later chased and edged a ball so wide, he did forget. Of course, paddling it over fine leg was an option, but clearly no one heard Shoaib Malik's reminder that this was a Test match not a Twenty20.

© Faras Ghani 2007
Published on Cricinfo 2nd Oct 2007

Amla capitalises on good batting track

Even though Hashim Amla perished late in the day, beaten by the new-ball movement of Mohammad Asif, his innings of 71 was of one of unadulterated patience, determined defence and steady concentration.

Although the majority of his time on the flat batting pitch in Karachi was spent playing second-fiddle to Jacques Kallis, who scored a century, there was still a need to stay and apply one's technique.

"The conditions were favourable for batting and Graeme [Smith] winning the toss really helped us," Amla said after the innings. "It is, however, a crumbling track and will deteriorate quickly which is why we are looking in excess of 500 as our first-innings score."

The pitch was believed to assist the spinners greatly - and it probably will more - prompting Pakistan to go in with four spinners (two front-line and two part-timers) and only two fast-bowlers. An hour into the day's play, there was neither seam movement for Asif or Umar Gul, nor was there any sharp spin to assist Danish Kaneria.

Pakistan's decision to go into the Test with only two fast bowlers surprised Amla in particular. "It was definitely unusual to play against only two fast bowlers and four spinners," he said, "especially before lunch on the first day, but we were prepared for it and played them well."

Amla appeared to be troubled by the spinners more than he was by the fast bowlers. On various occasions he tried to counter by sweeping his way out of strife, but only managed to top-edge the ball into the deep. Luckily for him, the ball landed safely on all occasions.

"Danish [Kaneria] got a lot of turn just before lunch and that made it difficult for me to play him at the start. However, as I got in, settled down and spent more time at the crease, I adjusted well and played him better."

Inevitably he was disappointed at being dismissed so close to the end and with a century on offer especially "after all the hard work we put in." He has, at least, the consolation of putting his side into a commanding position so early in this Test.

© Faras Ghani 2007
Published on Cricinfo 1st Oct 2007

Clash of the fast men

On the eve of the first Test between Pakistan and South Africa, Cricinfo provides a statistical preview

Opening acts
Both sides have struggled with their opening batsmen in recent years and both will have another combination taking guard in the middle. In the last 15 Tests, Pakistan have tried eight different pairs (and many more in Tests before that) and will have, in the absence of Imran Farhat and return of Salman Butt, another new one. South Africa have opened with six different pairs in the same number of Tests. Graeme Smith and Herschelle Gibbs are likely to re-unite once again here and Smith thinks it could work. He said, "Herschelle and I had a top start when we began with several 300-plus partnerships. He is experienced and I have been around for a while so I am hopeful we'll do well."

The fast men
Whatever the nature of the wicket, fast bowlers are likely to feature heavily in this battle, as befits two countries traditionally rich in fast bowling talent. Here are the men expected to feature in Karachi.

Mohammad Asif is an anomaly in Pakistan's recent fast-bowling lineage. Where Asif compromises on pace, he more than compensates with intelligence, accuracy, swing and seam, and stamina. After a spell of limited-overs games, he will relish most the longer format of the game in which he is most at home and where he's picked wickets by the bagful.

Makhaya Ntini will be hoping a return to the five-day game can rekindle a fire that has lost its glow recently. His last Test series was against Pakistan, at home, where he picked up 19 wickets in three Tests, including two five-fors and became the third South African bowler to take 300 Test wickets. But the slide started with the World Cup in the Caribbean, since when he's managed 11 wickets in 14 ODIs at 46.54. He fared little better in the Twenty20 format, going at over nine an over.

Umar Gul was impossible to get away during the ICC World Twenty20; bowling at the death he delivered unplayable yorkers while varying his length to good effect. His Test performances improved through 2006, though Pakistan missed him in South Africa last year, when he was out with an ankle injury. He has bulked up, increased his pace and will be looking to consolidate his role as the enforcer in the pace attack in Tests. His yorker at this ground last year to Ramnaresh Sarwan is a classic example of the damage he can cause.

Dale Steyn, on this tour, has a chance his cement his place in the Test side. A quick bowler who has the ability to swing the ball away from the right-hander, Steyn has picked up 178 wickets from 49 first-class matches, including a stint with Warwickshire this season, where he bagged 23 wickets at under 26 runs apiece in seven first-class games. South Africa want him, and Morne Morkel, to take over from Shaun Pollock, a challenge only slightly more arduous than playing on the flat decks in the subcontinent.

Clash of the titans
Given the frailties of both teams' opening combinations, don't be surprised if it boils down to the middle-order.

For Pakistan, the return of Mohammad Yousuf could not have been come at a better time. Inzamam-ul-Haq has been omitted and Yousuf is now expected to fill that considerable hole. His performances against South Africa are not as impressive as his Test record: an aggregate of 269 in six Tests, no centuries and an average just over 24 is a wrong he will be keen to right.

Jacques Kallis' resignation from the vice-captaincy should give him even more time to concentrate on his batting, which spells danger for Pakistan. Nearly 8,500 runs from 107 Tests, Kallis has for long been the of backbone of South Africa's batting. In conditions generally better for batting and stifling for bowlers, Kallis will want to improve his record against Pakistan: a solitary hundred in 11 Tests and an average (42.82), well below his career average (55.09).

Head to head
South Africa enjoy a comfortable upper hand in Tests between the two, winning seven of the 14 they have played. South Africa won 2-1 the last time they played in South Africa but Pakistan won their last series in Pakistan 1-0. If nothing else, a close battle is expected.

© Faras Ghani and Mathew Varghese 2007
Published on Cricinfo 30th Sept 2007

Pakistan seek to keep momentum going

Both Pakistan and Bangladesh come into this match with their immediate future confirmed. While Pakistan savour their progress in the tournament, Bangladesh will be checking-in for a flight back to Dhaka on Friday. Beaten comprehensively by Australia and Sri Lanka in the Super Eights, Bangladesh's joy of upsetting the West Indian wagon earlier was short-lived as rash strokes and poor temperament got the better of their inexperienced batsmen.

Pakistan, however, should barely sweat after resounding wins over the World Cup finalists and few will bet against them not to beat lesser opposition with greater authority and conviction. But, given the extremes that Pakistan experience, a repeat of Bangladesh's victory over its Asian rivals at the 1999 World Cup should not be forgotten no matter how unlikely it seems at the moment.

Bat play: Bangladesh have the ability to score quickly but their batsmen have taken a queer aversion to prolonging their innings. They are missing a plan on how to pace their sojourn in the middle that often results in a lofted mis-hit after a flurry of strokes. Aftab Ahmed, with 147 runs in the tournament, has been their best batsman with Mohammad Ashraful, not his usual flowing self, providing some hope in the middle order.

Pakistan's only worry is their opening combination; Imran Nazir and Salman Butt have been huge disappointments and a promotion for Shahid Afridi is likely to give him some batting practice. Younis Khan, Shoaib Malik and Misbah-ul-Haq, the tournament's joint top-scorer, will try and add to Bangladesh's miseries.

Wrecking ball: Spin will be the key to Bangladesh's chances of stopping Pakistan from wreaking havoc. Shakib Al Hasan, the slow left-armer, has been their most successful bowler in the tournament but not the most economical. Their opening combination of Syed Rasel and Mashrafe Mortaza has yielded only three wickets and has failed to provide the initial breakthroughs.

Pakistan's bowling department, however, has no such concerns. Afridi already boasts a wicket-tally of ten and the offspinner Mohammad Hafeez did well to contain Australia. Sohail Tanvir, a late replacement for Shoaib Akhtar, has built up a reputation of picking up wickets in his first over while Mohammad Asif, with eight wickets so far, should be able to create panic among the Bangladesh batsmen with his annoying accuracy.

Keep your eyes on: Misbah was deemed by many as too old and inept for this format of the game. He has not only rescued Pakistan several times in this tournament, but has also hit the longest six. He also has 18 fours and three more sixes to go with that.

Shop talk: Pakistan's victory celebrations after their win against Australia even got the country's president involved. Pervez Musharraf not only lavished praise on the team but also awarded US$10,000 to each member. Bangladesh, however, are hoping for an upset at the end of a largely disappointing tournament.

Pitching it right: The weather is expected to be dry and warm and with Bangladesh having already played at this venue twice, they might want to make use of a batting pitch where England scored 188 against Zimbabwe. With a hard surface and good bounce, Asif and Tanvir could prove to be a handful.


© Faras Ghani 2007
Published on Cricinfo 19th Sept 2007