By MWH
September 27 2003

A look back to the last time South Africa toured Pakistan, when Hansie Cronje was their skipper and also a short preview of the upcoming series. As the eagerly anticipated home series against South Africa approaches, MWH looks back at the last time South Africa toured Pakistan.

A South African team led by Hansie Cronje arrived in Pakistan in October 1997 to take part in a 3-test series as well as to feature in a quadrangular tournament also involving Sri Lanka as well as the West Indies aside from the hosts. Saeed Anwar was appointed Pakistan captain for this series.

The first test was held at Rawalpindi. This match saw Pakistan give test caps to 3 players – opening batsman Ali Naqvi , middle-order bat Mohammad Ramzan, and all-rounder Azhar Mahmood. Naqvi and Mahmood both had dream debuts scoring 115 and 128 respectively as Pakistan rattled up 456 in the 1st innings. This was the first occasion where two players had made a century on debut in the same innings. Azhar also shared in a 151 run partnership for the 10th wicket with Mushtaq Ahmad –equalling the test record for this wicket. South Africa in reply made 403, Gary Kirsten top-scoring with 98 while Saqlain Mushtaq took 5-129. Ultimately though the match fizzed out into a draw with Pakistan reaching 182 for the loss of 6 wickets in the second innings, with Azhar Mahmood further enhancing his debut performance by scoring a half-century to add to his heroics in the 1st innings. The local lad had given his hometown fans much to cheer about as the Pakistani public hailed the arrival of a new star – with some saying we had found the next Imran Khan.

The next test was held at Sheikhupura. In a match badly affected by rain, South Africa scored 402 in their 1st innings, notable contributions coming from Adam Bacher (96) and Shaun Pollock (82). Mushtaq Ahmad was the most successful of the Pakistani bowlers taking 4-122 after bowling a marathon 38 overs. The Pakistani reply could only get as far as 53-1 at the close of the 3rd day before rain conspired to wipe out any possibility of play on the 4th and 5th days. This match saw Mark Boucher make his debut for South Africa behind the stumps , while Pakistan handed another test cap to leg-spinner Ali Hussain Rizvi – who like Mohammad Ramzan before him was never to play for Pakistan again.

Thus, the two teams went into the decider at Faisalabad, with the score at 0-0. The Iqbal Stadium at Faisalabad has a notorious reputation as being a graveyard for fast bowlers – Dennis Lillee has reportedly gone on record as saying he wishes to be buried here after his death! However, Wasim and Waqar had other plans. South Africa elected to bat after winning the toss. Wasim soon had opener Bacher (1) and McMillan (2) sent back back to the pavilion. Both were out edging outswingers to the slips where Mohammad Wasim ( the substitute fielder) took some sharp catches. 11-2. Waqar then proceeded to dismiss Cullinan and Cronje – both lbw – after each failed to judge the line of the delivery. Meanwhile, the crowd started pouring in as news of Pakistan’s early success spread through the city. Around this time, another crucial incident happened. Gary Kirsten had made around 20 runs when he padded up to an Akram delivery that was veering in sharply towards the stumps. A loud appeal by Wasim and the Pakistan fielders was turned down by the umpire, Mian Aslam. Replays suggested Kirsten was lucky to survive. South Africa went to lunch in tatters with the score at 99-7 after Mushtaq Ahmad had snapped up 3 wickets. A fine partnership then proceeded between Kirsten and Symcox, with the former sticking at the crease while the latter punished the Pakistani bowlers everytime they bowled anything loose. The pair put up 124 until Symcox was finally cleaned up by Wasim for 81. He had ridden his luck bravely – at one point being deceived by a Mushtaq delivery only for the ball to pass through off and middle without dislodging a bail! South Africa ended up with 239, Gary Kirsten having carried his bat through the innings for a dogged century. Wasim Akram ended with figures of 4-42.

South Africa reduced Pakistan to 80-5 the next morning before Inzamam and Moin magnificently led the Pakistan fightback. The pair put on 144 for the 7th wicket, before both were removed by Cronje’s innocuous medium pacers. Inzamam (96) edged to Mcmillan at slip while Moin (80) was bowled. Some late order contributions by Aamir Sohail (38, he was batting low down due to an injury) and Waqar Younis (34) helped Pakistan to 308 – a crucial lead of 69 runs. South Africa ended day 2 in a precarious situation having lost both openers with the score on 21/2.

Day 3 saw another determined effort from Symcox who was proving to be Pakistan’s nemesis. In contrast to his swashbuckling 1st innings effort he played a patient knock of 55 spanning almost 3 hours before he was dismissed lbw by Saqlain. 140-5. With the old ball reverse swinging, Waqar Younis was brought into the attack and he dismissed Cronje and Richardson on consecutive deliveries sending the crowd into raptures. South Africa had gone from 140-4 to 140-7 and were staring down the barrel. Lance Klusener ( 38) played an entertaining cameo and helped the last 3 wickets yield 74 runs as South Africa were eventually dismissed for 214, leaving Pakistan a modest target of 146. Pakistan ended the day at 4 without loss after accepting bad light from the umpires. The South Africans were visibly unimpressed with the decision to call off play, but nevertheless the situation stood: Pakistan would need 142 further runs with all 10 wickets on a pitch that was not misbehaving unduly. It seemed a mere formality.

The next morning Pakistan moved to 23-0 before Aamir Sohail miscued an attempted hook shot off Alan Donald to get caught by Bacher at point. Shaun Pollock then had Saeed Anwar (0) caught behind and then dismissed Ijaz the very next ball for a golden duck. 24-3 and Pakistan were stuttering. It wasn’t going to get any better. Ali Naqvi (6) and Inzamam (5) both nicked Pollock to the slips and were soon back in the pavilion with the scorecard a dismal 31-5. Azhar and Moin looked briefly to put up some resistance before Azhar (6) gloved a Klusener delivery to the ‘keeper Richardson. Pakistan went to lunch at 79-6 with Wasim and Moin at the crease. Wasim(9) was out soon after lunch at mid-on whilst trying to smash Symcox in the stands. Saqlain (0) was out shortly afterwards to a bat-pad catch. Pollock cleaned up Waqar (0), and when Moin Khan (32) , the only player to offer any sort of serious resistance skied a catch to Donald off the bowling of Symcox, it was all over. South Africa had won by 53 runs, leaving the 10,000 crowd stunned in silence. The jubilant noises of the South African fielders were the only sounds audible from the Iqbal Stadium. Pakistan, once regarded near unbeatable at home, had slipped to their second home series loss in the space of 2 years (the first loss having come against the Lankans in 1995 by a 1-2 margin). Shaun Pollock was the chief destroyer with figures of 5-37 in the second innings but the Man of the Match award went to Pat Symcox. Gary Kirsten and Mushtaq Ahmed were “Men of the Series” for their respective countries.

This time round in place of the legendary W’s, Pakistan’s attack will be spearheaded by Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Sami – possibly the fastest ever duo in the history of the game. The experienced spin duo of Mushtaq Ahmad and Saqlain Mushtaq remain options for the team should the selectors be willing to consider them. In the batting department Pakistan will be looking towards a rejuvenated Inzamam-ul-Haq, Yousuf Youhana, and new batting star Yasir Hameed to deliver the goods. Veteran keeper Rashid Latif is set to lead Pakistan in this crucial series for his team. South Africa have also lost a few big names, with Allan Donald and Jonty Rhodes retiring. They will be looking towards captain Graham Smith and explosive opener Herschelle Gibbs to give them a solid start while all-rounder Jacques Kallis and veteran batsman Gary Kirsten provide the middle-order with steel. The bowling attack will be spearheaded by a much more experienced Shaun Pollock and Makhaya Ntini.