Students who meet the income requirement can receive up to 30 hours free tutoring. All low income students are eligible.
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Monday, 28 October 2013
Free tutoring for low income BBCHS students
Bradley-Bourbonnais Community High School will be offering tutoring to economically disadvantaged BBCHS students through a Title I grant.
South Africa penalised by umpires for ball tampering in Test against Pakistan
Pakistan have demanded an explanation from the International Cricket Council after South Africa’s Faf du Plessis escaped with a fine of 50 percent of his match fee for ball tampering in the second Test in Dubai.
Pakistan were on the receiving end following the only previous occasion in Test history when the umpires have changed a tampered ball and imposed a five-run penalty, at the Oval in 2006. They were widely accused of cheating and, when they refused to take the field, the was Test forfeited.
The chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, Najam Sethi, tweeted: “PCB is writing a letter to the ICC, seeking explanation of inconsistency by match referee in application of tampering rule.”
Du Plessis, who pleaded guilty to the charge, was not given any suspension by the ICC match referee David Boon, he was simply fined half his match fee.
While it is not surprising that former Pakistan players have waded into the debate, they have gained support from a more unexpected source, England’s captain Michael Vaughan, who tweeted: “Anyone caught ball tampering should be banned for at least ten matches.”
Du Plessis was caught in full view of the television cameras when South Africa were fielding during Pakistan’s second innings. He is seen vigorously polishing the ball, which would be tolerated in normal circumstances, only in this case it was on the zip of his trouser pocket, a somewhat more abrasive substance than synthetic fibres.
The television commentator, former South African captain Kepler Wessels, said while the camera was on du Plessis: “The issue there is that zip. That’s the problem.”
Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif also thought it was a problem. “The punishment is very lenient. I think Faf should have been banned for six months,” Latif said, “plus the captain of the team should be held responsible and punished.”
Pakistan’s former fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar, who was not only fined but suspended for ball tampering in 2003, told Geo Television in Pakistan: “[The] ICC can’t do justice on merit. It doesn’t have any guts to do so.”
As match referee, Boon offered the extenuating circumstance that du Plessis’s act was “not part of a deliberate and/or prolonged attempt to unfairly manipulate the condition of the ball.” Given the vigour with which du Plessis rubbed the ball on his trouser zip, this was an unusual use of the wording “not deliberate”.
Du Plessis was spotted by the TV umpire, Paul Reiffel of Australia, on Friday evening. The on-field umpires, Ian Gould and Rod Tucker, called over South Africa’s captain Graeme Smith, changed the ball and awarded Pakistan five penalty runs.
Given that the South African pace bowler Vernon Philander was also caught on camera in the act of apparently scratching the ball with his left finger, the statement released by AB de Villiers, South Africa’s vice-captain, rang rather hollow: “Honestly, we’re not the team that scratches the ball. We don’t cheat, it’s as simple as that. I know Faffy very well, he’s the last man to try anything like that.” Except that du Plessis has now pleaded guilty.
Gilman man killed in Iroquois County crash
Gary Schroeder, 47, of Gilman, was killed Wednesday morning in a single-vehicle crash in Douglas Township.
According to the Iroquois County Coroner's Office, Schroeder was traveling south on 850 E Road about 8 a.m. He lost control of his vehicle and hit a bridge abutment at 1670 N Road. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Iroquois County sheriff's police are investigating the crash. An autopsy was planned.
Illinois encouraging schools like Milford, Pembroke to consolidate
School districts in Illinois have been declining in number through consolidation since 1940, a time when there were nearly 12,000 districts. There are now only 861.
In an effort to save money, however, the state would like to see that current number reduced by more than half.
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'Thriller' dancing zombies raising money for Hospice in Piper City
A strange, international Halloween tradition returns to Piper City on Saturday afternoon. Dancing "zombies" will take to the streets of this tiny Ford County community for the seventh consecutive year.
It's all part of the worldwide tribute to the late Michael Jackson and his classic music video, "Thriller." In a synchronized effort from Seattle to New York, Brazil, Rwanda, Japan, Scotland and 16 other nations, thousands of dancers will recreate the iconic moves of the 1982 cultural sensation.
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Another benefit set for Bonfield cancer victim
A fundraiser will be held Saturday for Zayla Mitsdarffer, the 12-year-old from Bonfield battling cancer for a third time.
The Herscher American Legion Post 795 will host the event from 4 p.m. to midnight. Tickets are $10 for those 13 and older, with those younger admitted for free, and they will be available at the door. There will be raffles and auction items, as well as kids activities.
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Alastair Cook to face aspiring England bowlers before first Ashes Test
Alastair Cook’s bravery with the bat has never been questioned but the England captain’s mettle will be severely tested over the next few days when he faces up to a group of giant pace bowlers and two county tearaways, Tymal Mills and Harry Gurney, on the fastest net pitches in world cricket.
Normally it is a captain’s perk to be able to delegate, but not when Andy Flower is in charge and not when three of the colossi, Steven Finn, Boyd Rankin and Chris Tremlett, are vying for the third seamer’s role and are out to impress the captain into handing it to them.
Perception is everything and a good spell against Cook will count double, providing their thunder is not stolen by the rapid Mills who has been joined by Gurney in order to replicate the kind of left-arm bowling – think Mitchell Johnson – England expect to face when the Test series begins in just over three weeks time.
“The third seamer spot is up for grabs,” Cook said after England’s first training session at the Waca Ground yesterday. “In the past Andy Flower always made sure any bowlers pushing for a place bowled at Andrew Strauss when he was captain.”
Mills, 21, is a team-mate of Cook’s at Essex, but is more raw potential than finished article. That means he is very fast but unpredictable, a combination that saw several England players struck by him when they played a practice match against Essex last summer. “I think Tymal is pretty much the quickest bowler in England,” Cook said.
“I think the next couple of weeks are going to be quite interesting. We’ve got four giants who can bowl pretty quickly and two skiddier ones who can bowl just as quick. When I found out Tymal and Harry were joining us I began digging around in my bag for an armguard, but I don’t seem to have one.”
England stress that Mills and Gurney, who plays for Nottinghamshire, are not part of the squad. Yet Cook, perhaps acknowledging his own quick rise into the England team in 2006, following a sudden injury to Michael Vaughan, reckons the two have a great chance to impress the people who count.
“Tymal and Harry are here to offer practice against left-arm bowling,” Cook said. “But it is also a great opportunity for them to train with us. It is amazing how careers can change very quickly. By really impressing you just never know what can happen. They will be looking at it as an opportunity to press their claims.”
The No?6 spot in the batting order will also be contested, the aspirants being Jonny Bairstow and Gary Ballance. Whoever plays against the Western Australia Chairman’s XI on Thursday will probably play in the first Test. That means nets over the next few days, as they will be for the fast bowlers, are crucial. “All being well, it might be the case that whoever is selected at six for the first match will play in the first Test in Brisbane,” Cook said. “But you can never say for definite.”
Pakistan demand explanation after ICC hands down 'inconsistent' ball tampering punishment
Pakistan have demanded an explanation from the International Cricket Council after South Africa’s Faf du Plessis escaped with a fine of 50 percent of his match fee for ball tampering in the second Test in Dubai.
Pakistan were on the receiving end following the only previous occasion in Test history when the umpires have changed a tampered ball and imposed a five-run penalty, at the Oval in 2006. They were widely accused of cheating and, when they refused to take the field, the was Test forfeited.
The chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, Najam Sethi, tweeted: “PCB is writing a letter to the ICC, seeking explanation of inconsistency by match referee in application of tampering rule.”
Du Plessis, who pleaded guilty to the charge, was not given any suspension by the ICC match referee David Boon, he was simply fined half his match fee.
While it is not surprising that former Pakistan players have waded into the debate, they have gained support from a more unexpected source, England’s captain Michael Vaughan, who tweeted: “Anyone caught ball tampering should be banned for at least ten matches.”
Du Plessis was caught in full view of the television cameras when South Africa were fielding during Pakistan’s second innings. He is seen vigorously polishing the ball, which would be tolerated in normal circumstances, only in this case it was on the zip of his trouser pocket, a somewhat more abrasive substance than synthetic fibres.
The television commentator, former South African captain Kepler Wessels, said while the camera was on du Plessis: “The issue there is that zip. That’s the problem.”
Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif also thought it was a problem. “The punishment is very lenient. I think Faf should have been banned for six months,” Latif said, “plus the captain of the team should be held responsible and punished.”
Pakistan’s former fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar, who was not only fined but suspended for ball tampering in 2003, told Geo Television in Pakistan: “[The] ICC can’t do justice on merit. It doesn’t have any guts to do so.”
As match referee, Boon offered the extenuating circumstance that du Plessis’s act was “not part of a deliberate and/or prolonged attempt to unfairly manipulate the condition of the ball.” Given the vigour with which du Plessis rubbed the ball on his trouser zip, this was an unusual use of the wording “not deliberate”.
Du Plessis was spotted by the TV umpire, Paul Reiffel of Australia, on Friday evening. The on-field umpires, Ian Gould and Rod Tucker, called over South Africa’s captain Graeme Smith, changed the ball and awarded Pakistan five penalty runs.
Given that the South African pace bowler Vernon Philander was also caught on camera in the act of apparently scratching the ball with his left finger, the statement released by AB de Villiers, South Africa’s vice-captain, rang rather hollow: “Honestly, we’re not the team that scratches the ball. We don’t cheat, it’s as simple as that. I know Faffy very well, he’s the last man to try anything like that.” Except that du Plessis has now pleaded guilty.
Heard It On The Street: Kankakee limiting cash-for-gold stores
There is a gold rush taking place in Kankakee. A rush, that is, to limit the number of cash-for-gold locations that have popped up in recent years.
The Kankakee City Council approved by a 14-0 vote Monday night a new ordinance that caps the number of cash-for-gold dealers — not jewelry stores — to three and imposes a $1,000 yearly licensing fee.
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Bourbonnais mom skydives to forget ALS
When the unrelenting grip of ALS is staring you in the face, the freedom of skydiving looks like a pretty attractive break from the physical limitations looming on the horizon.
That's the realization Katrina Shelby, of Bourbonnais, reached before she jumped from a plane at the Chicagoland Skydiving Center in Rochelle Wednesday.
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Beecher man killed in truck crash
Gary M. Schwartz, 42, of Beecher, died Wednesday morning after the pickup truck he was driving left the road and crashed into several trees Tuesday night, Will County sheriff's police said.
Police were called to Old Monee Road just north of Stuenkel Road about 9:30 p.m. Tuesday.
According to police reports, Schwartz was driving south on Old Monee Road when he lost control of his 2006 Ford F-150 pickup. It appears Schwartz was not wearing a seat belt.
Schwartz was transported to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn and died at 5 a.m. Wednesday, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.
Fire at Denny's closes restaurant
Breakfast at Denny's this morning was a little hotter than normal.
A fire that was suspected to have started in the rooftop heating/air conditioning unit at the Denny's Restaurant at the corner of Armour Road and Illinois Route 50 early this morning closed the business.
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Jury set to issue verdict in Kankakee's 1st murder trial of '13
The jury is scheduled to begin deliberations this afternoon in the murder trial of Kimberly Nowlan-McCue, who is accused of stabbing to death her one-time friend over an apparent domestic dispute.
The week-long trial ended Thursday with video of McCue, 34, being interrogated by police hours after 29-year-old Elizabeth Jamison was fatally stabbed on New Year's Day in Kankakee.
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England seamer Stuart Broad stands his ground on walking saga to Michael Vaughan
England seamer Stuart Broad remains unrepentant about his controversial decision not to walk after he edged Australia spinner Ashton Agar to slip during last summer’s first Ashes Test at Trent Bridge.
Broad was given not out by umpire Aleem Dar and went on to share a decisive partnership with Ian Bell which helped to give England a lead in the series which they went on to win 3-0.
In an interview with former England captain Michael Vaughan which will be broadcast on Radio5 Live this evening Broad insists that he did nothing different to most other professional cricketers. “My first comment on that whole incident is I could name you 18 or 19 players who played in an Ashes series who nicked it and didn’t walk,” Broad said. “We could be here all day if I named players from the past. I am trying to think of someone in the modern game who is consistently a walker.
“It’s a really interesting debate and something that got blown so out of proportion maybe because the Australians were frustrated they had wasted two referrals.
“It was an important moment in the game because, let’s be honest, if Belly and I hadn’t put on those runs, we wouldn’t have won the Test match so we would only have won 3-1 or something.”
Asked by Vaughan whether he would stand his ground again if the same situation were to happen in the first Test of this winter’s Ashes series, Broad said: “Yes. I won’t nick, I’ll hit it for four.”
Broad’s refusal to walk at Trent Bridge was criticised by Australia coach Darren Lehmann, who accused him of “blatant cheating” and urged Australia fans to make Broad cry this winter.
Broad revealed that Australia players had criticised Lehmann for his comments and that the coach had apologised to him for his comments.
“Ryan Harris came over to me and apologised. First of all he said from the players we have given him [Lehmann] a hard time and his comments were unacceptable,” Broad said. “Then he [Lehmann] came across and said: I meant it in jest. I said that in black and white it doesn’t look like jest to me. He said something along the lines of, listen to the interview, and I said, I have far better things to do with my time, and that was about it. We shared a nice beer and I said, 'See you in November’.”
Lehmann has since described England’s cricket as dour and questioned the technique of batsman Jonathan Trott but Broad said England would not be distracted by Australia’s attempts to play mind games.
“It’s like a big boxing match coming up a bit of trash talk. We are the side that don’t need to get involved in that, we are very happy where we are as a team, we have got some very skilful players,” Broad said.
“We don’t need to comment on Australia we don’t need to comment on them as a team. We are more than happy for them to comment on us.”
You can hear more in Stuart Broad Uncovered on BBC Radio 5 Live tonight at 9pm
Former Bradley home health care worker guilty of stealing credit card from elderly
Patricia Capriotti, 51, has pleaded guilty to using a credit card she stole from an 87-year-old woman while working as an office manager for a home health care company in Bradley.
Capriotti — a former Kankakee County jury coordinator who was fired in 2004 for jury tampering — was sentenced to 30 months probation for unlawful use of a credit card in Kankakee County court earlier this month.
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Estranged son in mind, Bourbonnais restaurant owner teams with Kankakee homeless shelter
"I wonder if he's hungry. I wonder if he's shivering in the cold."
But that's all that Bourbonnais restaurateur Steve Long really can do for his son, Devon.
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Ron Jackson: We need less talk, more action on school violence
With two school attacks resulting in fatalities on consecutive days and a third incident intercepted this past week, it's time we start doing more than just talking again.
However, instead of talking about how we must protect our schools from mad men, this time the conversation must focus on mad school children.
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Kankakee woman guilty of murder, faces 60 years
A jury took only 23 minutes before finding Kimberly Nowlan-McCue guilty of stabbing and killing her onetime friend, Elizabeth Jamison, on New Year's Day.
She faces up to 60 years in prison.
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Denny's unavailable for comment about restaurant fire
It is unknown how long the Denny's Restaurant, located at the intersection of Illinois Route 50 and Armour Road, will remain closed following a Friday morning fire.
Representatives for the chain restaurant could not be reached as of 3:30 p.m. Friday. But Bourbonnais firefighters said the building sustained smoke and water damage and that a rooftop heating/air conditioning unit that caught fire would have to be replaced.
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KCC's electricity expert receives 'highest' honor
There is no doubt that Tim Wilhelm is an electrifying individual.
After all, he is electrical technology program coordinator at Kankakee Community College.
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Teaching is:
• A purposeful performing art
• A gratifying way to express your enthusiasm for your primary field of interest
• The fulfillment of a social obligation to pass on all you've learned to the next generation(s)
• One helluva lotta fun!
— Tim Wilhelm
Police blotter: Oct. 26, 2013
Battery
• Jamar Z. Williamson, 26, of Kankakee, was arrested by Kankakee police in the block of North Greenwood Avenue at 4:11 p.m. Wednesday for aggravated battery. Williamson hit a man with a stick. He was taken to Jerome Combs Detention Center.
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Presence takes reins at Clifton nursing home
For a man who estimates he has attended more than 1,200 funerals in the past 38 years, Brother Damien DeBraekeleer, the former administrator at what now is Presence Merkle-Knipprath Countryside Nursing Home, is still clearly in love with life.
At 75 — and a record of three heart surgeries during the last four years — it would be understandable if he chose to abandon the halls of this facility that he helped open on Oct. 6, 1975. With the institution now in the Presence health care family of 18 nursing and rehabilitation centers, 11 retirement communities and five home care agencies, his life's work now is in experienced hands.
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Waterways bill approved, but will money flow to Illinois?
Illinois agriculture leaders are excited about the U.S. House's overwhelming approval Wednesday of an $8.2 billion water resources bill they have sought for years. It will improve locks and dams vital to shipping more than $100 billion worth of grain and raw materials annually.
Kankakee County farmer Bill Olthoff, who worked on the issue for years as a director of the Illinois Farm Bureau, was one of those glad about the bill's approval; however, his enthusiasm was tempered with a "show me the money" outlook.
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Ghost hunters visit historic home in Kankakee
Guests regularly tour the three main buildings at the Kankakee County Museum campus: The 1904 one-room Taylor School, the restored 1855 home of Dr. A.L. Small and the popular museum itself.
None go about it quite the way the Illinois Paranormal Society team of ghost hunters explored the buildings during a nighttime visit this week. With special audio and video equipment, the team came prepared to find any spirits who still might occupy these spaces.
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Historical society open house Sunday
The Essex Historical Society, 218 Paris St., Essex, will be open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday. Everyone is invited to attend and learn about the past of the little town.
Destructive weed spreads to Iroquois County
URBANA — The University of Illinois says a weed that can badly damage corn and soybean crops now has spread to at least 26 counties, including Iroquois County, in the state.
Palmar amaranth originated in the Southwest but in recent years has spread east.
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Pre-Halloween safety event at Safety Town
The Bourbonnais Police Department, Bourbonnais Fire Department and Bourbonnais Township Park District will have a free pre-Halloween come and go community event for children from 5 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 29, at Safety Town just past Taco Bell, on Stratford Drive East.
There will be brief presentations repeating on trick or treat safety, treat bags of candy will be given away along with child ID kits. The ID kits will allow you to obtain the fingerprints and DNA of your child to store in a secure place in your own home as a permanent record.
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1950 and 1951 Bradley High School reunion
Members of the Bradley High School graduating classes of 1950 and 1951 are having a reunion luncheon at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 5, at The Village Grill in Bradley. Spouses are welcome to attend.
RSVP by calling Nelda (Langlois) Ravens at 815-932-8979 no later than Nov. 3.
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Wisch List: Graves, Ghosts and Chicago's most famous cemeteries
Through the decades, Chicago has been home to a lot of people.
So it serves to notice the city would be home to a lot of graveyards, too.
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Matthew West concert at Olivet
Matthew West along with Sidewalk Prophets and Jason Castro will be in concert at the Betty and Kenneth Hawkins Centennial Chapel on Olivet's campus at 7 p.m. on Saturday at One University Avenue, Bourbonnais.
The cost varies according to seat. The concert is sponsored by Shine.FM.
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'We don't cheat' - AB de Villiers
New ODI rules and faulty bowling shackle Dhoni The rule of having only four fielders in the deep to protect a less than incisive bowling line-up has placed limits on MS Dhoni's captaincy The issue with Ishant The fact that his wrist is not behind the ball and the seam doesn't come out upright speak volumes Kohli's costly drop Plays of the day from the fourth ODI between India and Australia in Ranchi Irfan finds the right length Not too many tall fast bowlers can pitch it up to good effect. Pakistan now have one, and he has the makings of a skilful customer Australia's latest ODI batting star George Bailey has played only 31 ODI innings, but during this period he has racked up astonishing numbers
PCB wants clarification on 'inconsistent' ball-tampering penalty
New ODI rules and faulty bowling shackle Dhoni The rule of having only four fielders in the deep to protect a less than incisive bowling line-up has placed limits on MS Dhoni's captaincy The issue with Ishant The fact that his wrist is not behind the ball and the seam doesn't come out upright speak volumes Kohli's costly drop Plays of the day from the fourth ODI between India and Australia in Ranchi Irfan finds the right length Not too many tall fast bowlers can pitch it up to good effect. Pakistan now have one, and he has the makings of a skilful customer Australia's latest ODI batting star George Bailey has played only 31 ODI innings, but during this period he has racked up astonishing numbers
South Africa in control, but hit by ball-tampering penalty
Pakistan 99 and 132 for 4 trail South Africa 517 (Smith 234, de Villiers 164, Ajmal 6-151) by 286 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details South Africa's march towards a result that will draw the series and prolong their seven-year unbeaten record away from home continued unabated, but the gloss on their seemingly impeccable performance was lost when the on-field umpires penalised them for tampering with the ball. Graeme Smith's team ended the third day needing six wickets to complete an emphatic victory - probably by an innings considering Pakistan were still trailing by 286 with two days remaining - but the likelihood of a meeting with the Match Referee loomed large as the sun set in Dubai. The incident occurred two overs after tea, before the start of the 31st over, following television visuals of one player rubbing the ball allegedly on the zipper of his trouser pocket. The umpires Ian Gould and Rod Tucker called Graeme Smith over for a chat and subsequently changed the ball and awarded a five-run penalty against South Africa, sanctions that are consistent with the penalty for unlawfully changing the condition of the ball. A second television visual showed another player allegedly picking at the side of the ball with his finger. On either side of that unsavoury episode, however, South Africa made strides towards victory, albeit not at the pace at which they had shut Pakistan out of the Test over the first two days. After South Africa were dismissed for 517 with a lead of 418, 16 minutes before lunch, Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander punched Pakistan in the gut by dismissing their openers in their only overs before the break. Steyn swung the ball back into Shan Masood's front pad and the left-hand batsman continued Pakistan's lousy use of reviews by wasting one on an lbw that was plumb. Philander then handed Khurram Manzoor his first pair in Test cricket; the right-hand batsman hung his bat outside off stump and watched Jacques Kallis dive to his right at second slip to take the catch at head height. Pakistan were 2 for 2. After lunch, Younis Khan and Azhar Ali focused on survival. Steyn swung and seamed the new ball away from the right-handers; Philander bowled with unrelenting accuracy; Morne Morkel hit speeds off 149.6 kph - the fastest ball of the Test - in his first over. With four slips and other catches in place, there were gaps to exploit on the huge outfield but only 18 runs were scored in the first 13 overs. One of Tahir's legbreaks spun so viciously from the rough around off stump that it went straight to first slip. Azhar and Younis, however, survived all that until Smith brought on the part-time offspinner JP Duminy ten minutes before tea. His first ball spun sharply into Azhar and kept low to hit the back pad just in line with off stump. In an instant, a vast amount of hard graft had come undone and Pakistan were 48 for 3. Duminy could have struck in his second over, too, but Kallis failed to catch an outside edge from Younis off the penultimate ball before the break. Younis' composure, which had served him well through the second session, disappeared soon after the tampering incident, when he charged Tahir and attempted a mow across the line. He missed and the ball bounced off his pad on to his stumps. At 70 for 4, Pakistan were in danger of sliding further towards defeat but Misbah-ul-Haq and Asad Shafiq put on an unbeaten 62-run stand. Shafiq was fortunate to survive a stumping chance on 18 off Duminy, and Pakistan will need a miraculous performance from him and the rest to prevent an innings defeat. The third day had begun with promise of more records being broken, with Smith resuming on 227 and de Villiers on 157. However, with the job already done unlike when they had come together early on the second day, their stroke-play wasn't as tight. De Villiers began to drive at Mohammad Irfan from the start, but a ball after he placed one to the straight boundary, he drove again and edged. This time Adnan Akmal caught it, 164 runs and 273 deliveries after he should have caught de Villiers first ball. Irfan had now worked up a brisk pace and soon drew an edge from Smith. Akmal dropped it again, and Irfan told the wicketkeeper just what he thought of that effort. The mistake did not cost Pakistan, though, because Ajmal had Smith caught at slip a ball later, leaving South Africa 478 for 6. What followed made Pakistan wonder about the different paths this match might have taken had Akmal not dropped de Villiers before he had scored. Irfan ran in from over the wicket and tormented Duminy with deliveries that pitched on a good length outside off stump and jagged into the left-handed batsman. Three times in a row, Irfan struck Duminy on the pad and bellowed appeals for lbw. He was denied each time because the impact was too high. In his next over, after hitting Faf du Plessis on the glove, Irfan took the umpire out of the equation by bowling Duminy between bat and pad with a fuller delivery. He celebrated with vigour, but in his next over - the innings' 149th - Irfan ran out of rope the umpires had given him by following through on the danger area once again. He was suspended from bowling further in the innings. With Irfan lost, and Junaid Khan blunt, Ajmal was the only threat and du Plessis steered South Africa past 500 and the lead past 400. Ajmal gradually worked his way through the tail to pick up a six-wicket haul, but the end of South Africa's innings provided little relief for Pakistan.
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details South Africa's march towards a result that will draw the series and prolong their seven-year unbeaten record away from home continued unabated, but the gloss on their seemingly impeccable performance was lost when the on-field umpires penalised them for tampering with the ball. Graeme Smith's team ended the third day needing six wickets to complete an emphatic victory - probably by an innings considering Pakistan were still trailing by 286 with two days remaining - but the likelihood of a meeting with the Match Referee loomed large as the sun set in Dubai. The incident occurred two overs after tea, before the start of the 31st over, following television visuals of one player rubbing the ball allegedly on the zipper of his trouser pocket. The umpires Ian Gould and Rod Tucker called Graeme Smith over for a chat and subsequently changed the ball and awarded a five-run penalty against South Africa, sanctions that are consistent with the penalty for unlawfully changing the condition of the ball. A second television visual showed another player allegedly picking at the side of the ball with his finger. On either side of that unsavoury episode, however, South Africa made strides towards victory, albeit not at the pace at which they had shut Pakistan out of the Test over the first two days. After South Africa were dismissed for 517 with a lead of 418, 16 minutes before lunch, Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander punched Pakistan in the gut by dismissing their openers in their only overs before the break. Steyn swung the ball back into Shan Masood's front pad and the left-hand batsman continued Pakistan's lousy use of reviews by wasting one on an lbw that was plumb. Philander then handed Khurram Manzoor his first pair in Test cricket; the right-hand batsman hung his bat outside off stump and watched Jacques Kallis dive to his right at second slip to take the catch at head height. Pakistan were 2 for 2. After lunch, Younis Khan and Azhar Ali focused on survival. Steyn swung and seamed the new ball away from the right-handers; Philander bowled with unrelenting accuracy; Morne Morkel hit speeds off 149.6 kph - the fastest ball of the Test - in his first over. With four slips and other catches in place, there were gaps to exploit on the huge outfield but only 18 runs were scored in the first 13 overs. One of Tahir's legbreaks spun so viciously from the rough around off stump that it went straight to first slip. Azhar and Younis, however, survived all that until Smith brought on the part-time offspinner JP Duminy ten minutes before tea. His first ball spun sharply into Azhar and kept low to hit the back pad just in line with off stump. In an instant, a vast amount of hard graft had come undone and Pakistan were 48 for 3. Duminy could have struck in his second over, too, but Kallis failed to catch an outside edge from Younis off the penultimate ball before the break. Younis' composure, which had served him well through the second session, disappeared soon after the tampering incident, when he charged Tahir and attempted a mow across the line. He missed and the ball bounced off his pad on to his stumps. At 70 for 4, Pakistan were in danger of sliding further towards defeat but Misbah-ul-Haq and Asad Shafiq put on an unbeaten 62-run stand. Shafiq was fortunate to survive a stumping chance on 18 off Duminy, and Pakistan will need a miraculous performance from him and the rest to prevent an innings defeat. The third day had begun with promise of more records being broken, with Smith resuming on 227 and de Villiers on 157. However, with the job already done unlike when they had come together early on the second day, their stroke-play wasn't as tight. De Villiers began to drive at Mohammad Irfan from the start, but a ball after he placed one to the straight boundary, he drove again and edged. This time Adnan Akmal caught it, 164 runs and 273 deliveries after he should have caught de Villiers first ball. Irfan had now worked up a brisk pace and soon drew an edge from Smith. Akmal dropped it again, and Irfan told the wicketkeeper just what he thought of that effort. The mistake did not cost Pakistan, though, because Ajmal had Smith caught at slip a ball later, leaving South Africa 478 for 6. What followed made Pakistan wonder about the different paths this match might have taken had Akmal not dropped de Villiers before he had scored. Irfan ran in from over the wicket and tormented Duminy with deliveries that pitched on a good length outside off stump and jagged into the left-handed batsman. Three times in a row, Irfan struck Duminy on the pad and bellowed appeals for lbw. He was denied each time because the impact was too high. In his next over, after hitting Faf du Plessis on the glove, Irfan took the umpire out of the equation by bowling Duminy between bat and pad with a fuller delivery. He celebrated with vigour, but in his next over - the innings' 149th - Irfan ran out of rope the umpires had given him by following through on the danger area once again. He was suspended from bowling further in the innings. With Irfan lost, and Junaid Khan blunt, Ajmal was the only threat and du Plessis steered South Africa past 500 and the lead past 400. Ajmal gradually worked his way through the tail to pick up a six-wicket haul, but the end of South Africa's innings provided little relief for Pakistan.
Misbah questions Pakistan's domestic set-up
Misbah-ul-Haq, understandably, spends a lot of his time in front of the media explaining that not being able to play international cricket at home has adversely affected the Pakistan team. After their defeat in Dubai - a first for them at this venue - he went even further and questioned whether a more rigorous domestic set-up is also needed for them to thrive in conditions which suit them already. "It may be due to the first-class system. If you are coming through a tough first-class system, playing really tough teams, facing tough bowlers and batsmen, it automatically comes when you play competitive cricket," he said. "Otherwise, if you are in an easy competition, when you are playing top sides, you will struggle. We must make our first class more competitive. That is why we are not mentally strong." Pakistan's domestic season had not started before this series was played, although they played warm-up matches before leaving for the UAE, but it is a competition in which matches are often shorter than four-days and five-wicket hauls are not uncommon. If it is impacting on members of the international team, then it could explain why their inconsistencies in the batting department, which ultimately cost them a series win against another world No.1. After scoring 442 in the first innings of the first Test, Pakistan looked a completely different side when they were bundled out for 99 on the first day in Dubai. Misbah knew that innings had cost his side the series. "We are disappointed given the conditions here," he said. Before the series Misbah made special mention of how his batsmen would be better on these surfaces than they were in Zimbabwe and South Africa because the pitches suited their style of play. Graeme Smith noted Pakistan's batsmen are "far more comfortable with less pace and bounce that they have here." Still, Pakistan managed to fold in the first innings and slump to 2 for 2 in the second, raising questions about their top-order that were thought to be on their way to being answered after their showing in Abu Dhabi. Khurram Manzoor followed up his century with a pair and Shan Masood made one start and then a duck to ensure the uncertainty in the top two, which has been a long-running issue in Pakistan cricket, exacerbated by Mohammad Hafeez's loss of form, continues. Instead of looking elsewhere, though, Misbah wants some continuity. "If you keep changing things, it doesn't help. Opening is one of the toughest jobs. You need some experience. Even the best players struggle sometimes. You just need to be patient," he said. "To keep on changing the openers is not the solution. These guys need to learn. They need more chances to understand what Test cricket is." If they had that, and the grounding from their domestic game, Misbah believes 99 all out could have been avoided and the session that lost Pakistan the Test may never have been. "It was just one session and if we could reverse that then that thing that is associated with us, that we are just so bad in one hour and one session, would not hurt us. We want to improve on that in future. We don't want these sorts of sessions. We need more character, otherwise ups and downs can really hurt the team." As South Africa showed in their innings and Pakistan did in their second attempt, the pitch in Dubai had runs in it throughout the game. It also had appreciable turn, which Pakistan's spinners were never able to exploit by having a target to defend. Misbah believed even a lead under of 200 could have given Pakistan a chance. "If we had something of 150 or 200 runs in the last innings, the kind of patches and rough on the pitch, the kind of spinners we have, it could have been very interesting." Firdose Moonda is ESPNcricinfo's South Africa correspondent
Feeds: Firdose Moonda © ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
Feeds: Firdose Moonda © ESPN Sports Media Ltd.De Villiers back to No. 1 spot in Tests
New ODI rules and faulty bowling shackle Dhoni The rule of having only four fielders in the deep to protect a less than incisive bowling line-up has placed limits on MS Dhoni's captaincy The issue with Ishant The fact that his wrist is not behind the ball and the seam doesn't come out upright speak volumes Kohli's costly drop Plays of the day from the fourth ODI between India and Australia in Ranchi Irfan finds the right length Not too many tall fast bowlers can pitch it up to good effect. Pakistan now have one, and he has the makings of a skilful customer Australia's latest ODI batting star George Bailey has played only 31 ODI innings, but during this period he has racked up astonishing numbers
Rawalpindi complete innings victory
Centuries from Shoaib Nasir, Naved Malik and Zahir Mansoor helped Rawalpindi beat Bahawalpur by an innings and 130 runs. Rawalpindi batted first, with openers Nasir (112) and Naved (127) putting on 228 for the first wicket. Contributions flowed from the rest of the order thereafter, with Zahid finishing unbeaten on 103 as Rawalpindi declared on 536 for 7. Facing an immense challenge, Bahawalpur were in dire straits as both openers went with just 3 on the board. Despite contributions from some of the middle order batsmen, Bahawalpur folded to 151, with Haseeb Azam and Akhtar Ayub taking four wickets each. Still 385 runs behind, it was imperative the openers gave Bahawalpur a good start, but that failed to come to fruition as they were both dismissed with just 17 on the board. Adeel Basit's 114 was the stand out innings, and despite contributions from Faisal Mubashir (42) and Rehan Rafiq (39), the team were unable to reach the necessary target as they were dismissed for 255, giving Rawalpindi the innings victory. Karachi Whites started their campaign on the right food with an innings and 20-run victory over Lahore Shalimar. Karachi Whites began strongly with Asif Zakir (114) and Fazal Subhan (155) putting on a 283-run opening stand. However, once the stand ended, wickets began to fall regularly, with eight wickets falling in the space of 83 runs. Shahzaib Ahmed added 61 to help prop Karachi Whites to 430. Waqar Ahmed was the pick of the bowlers with 4 for 104. After being reduced to 12 for 2, Waqas Saleem and Umar Siddiq put on a 115-run stand to help steady Lahore Shalimar's innings. Junaid Ali (49), Waqar (33) and Mustafa Iqbal (27) helped Lahore Shalimar to 270, but it was not enough to prevent the follow-on, with Karachi Whites promptly sending Lahore Shalimar back in. Their second effort went pear-shaped as Babar Rehman and Faheem Ahmed left Lahore Shalimar's batsmen in disarray. Only four batsmen got into double figures as Lahore Shalimar folded to 140, giving Karachi Whites an innings and 20 runs victory. The opening Quaid-e-Azam trophy match between Hyderabad and Quetta played out to a tame draw in Hyderabad. After being put into bat, Hyderabad looked in trouble at 62 for 4 before Faisal Athar and Zafar Ali put on 164 for the fourth wicket to help steady the innings. Zafar fell on 60, and innings from Shoaib Laghari (61) and Mir Ali (75), helped Hyderabad to 435. Athar top-scored with 143, while Shahzad Tareen took best bowling figures of 5 for 111. Quetta started strongly, with the openers putting on 47, but seemed to lose wickets at regular intervals as, apart from Taimur Khan's 110, the rest of the batsmen failed to put on meaningful scores. Nasir Awais was the pick of the bowlers for Hyderabad with 5 for 98. Hyderabad's innings started grimly after they were reduced to 31 for 3, but Mohammad Shehbaz's unbeaten 54, along with Athar's 44, helped rescue the team from a sorry state. Hyderabad reached 156 for 5 as the match petered out to a draw. Abottabad and Karachi Blues drew their first match of the tournament in Karachi. Abottabad batted first, losing opener Waqar Orakzai off the first ball of the innings. After being reduced to 22 for 3, Mohammad Naeem (75) and Khalilullah (53) salvaged the position somewhat, before Rehan Afridi's inbeaten 139 helped prop Abbottabad's innings to 367. In reply, Karachi Blues put on a fine show, with Ashraf Ali narrowly missing a century with 96, and Faraz Ahmed supporting him with 86. Karachi Blues were dismissed for 343, with Aziz-ur-Rehman taking 3 for 84. Centuries from Mohammad Naeem and Afridi ensured Abottabad put up a stiff target to chase. Both Waqar Anwar and Faraz Ahmed took four wickets, but were unable to prevent Abbottabad from putting up 343. With 368 to chase, and not much time left in the match, openers Behram Khan and Rajesh Ramesh held around for three overs to finish 24 for 0. Sialkot completed an innings and 52-run victory over Lahore Ravi to get their Quaid-e-Azam Trophy campaign off on the right foot. After being put into bat, Sialkot imposed themselves with a 73-run stand for the opening wicket. Their batting line-up all contributed with Faisal Khan, Naved Sarwar and Mansoor Amjad posting fifties to help Sialkot score 382. Adnan Danish and Aleem Yousuf were the pick of the bowlers, picking up 4 for 103 and 3 for 98 respectively. Lahore Ravi were simply unable to post significant partnerships, with wickets falling at regular intervals. The opening bowlers for Sialkot, Adnan Ghaus and Hasan Ali, combined for seven wickets as Lahore Ravi were skittled out for 110. As they didn't meet the follow-on target, Lahore Ravi were invited to bat for a second time, and while they did pass 200, they still didn't reach the necessary target of 282 and fell short by 52 runs. Only Zeeshan Ali and Danish hit fifties, while Nabeel Malik's 4 for 98, and Amjad's 3 for 30 were the best bowling performances of the innings.
Smith lauds South Africa's 'immense' record
It took a little longer than appear likely at one stage, but South Africa's comfortably victory extends a formidable overseas sequence which vindicates their No. 1 statusBefore Graeme Smith went in for ankle surgery in May, the doctor gave him a worrying warning. "If this doesn't work, I don't know what I am going to do," he said to the South African captain. Smith had suffered an ankle impingement in April last year, which ruled him out of the IPL, and had chronic ankle pain for a period of time before that. He had an operation last year before South Africa's tour of England but this year needed another - one he refers to as "major," - because the problem had not been entirely solved. The recent one, which meant he had cut short his first season with Surrey, involved putting two pins into his heel to correct a stress fracture and would keep him out of the game for six months, much longer than the ten weeks he had on the sidelines 2012. "I had a lot of time to reflect on my career and I wondered if there would be more," he said. Smith didn't have to explain his fear that he thought there was a chance he may not take the field again because it was obvious from the pride he took in his own performance. "I worked really hard to get to where I am now. To have come back and scored a double hundred in these conditions - almost sub-continental and with the heat - is something I will never forget. I am proud of it. I will cherish this innings for the rest of my life." His 234 was the biggest individual difference between South Africa and Pakistan in Dubai and it was as much a personal achievement as it was a team feat. Without Smith's innings, a canvas painted by hard grind rather than attractive strokeplay, South Africa would not have had the platform from which it did not matter that their lower-order collapsed. Without his knock, they could have lost the match and their record run on the road could have ended. Cricketers often claim numbers don't matter to them until they've called it a day but there are two that mean a great to deal to South Africa right now. The No.1 ranking is the first of them. They would not have lost it had they been defeated 2-0 in this series but their lead would have been substantially cut. Their unbeaten away streak since 2006 is the other because it explains, without needing to use too many words, why they are the top-ranked Test team. South Africa have not won a series in the subcontinent, apart from victories in Bangladesh, since beating Pakistan in 2007 but they have drawn in India and now, in the UAE. That speaks about their ability to "find a way," as Smith likes to put it to win in conditions they are unaccustomed to and which are intended to work against them. I don't think many teams in the current set-up can travel as well as we do and be able to perform in the different environments and under the different pressures. I don't think the team gets enough credit for that. It's an immense record Graeme Smith on South Africa away from home It illustrates what Smith and AB de Villiers' innings showed: how to construct scores on pitches which take turn, outfields which are slow and bowlers who know how to exploit the conditions with movement and spin. But on the fourth day of this match, it was their bowlers' ability which was highlighted. Despite being kept in the field for much longer than they expected, the attack barely strayed from their plans. They were disciplined in length, using the short ball as a threat rather than a regulation delivery, and understanding the need to pitch it up. Even when Misbah-ul-Haq and Asad Shafiq looked as though they would bat out the day, the bowlers did not panic and held their control. Part-time left-arm spinner Dean Elgar took advantage of a lapse in concentration from Misbah and then South Africa knew it was just a matter of time. They finished Pakistan off before the end of the day to extend their record of adaptability to include the UAE. "Once they got in and the ball got soft, it became difficult," Smith admitted. "We controlled the run-rate and they were never scoring at more than 2.5 to the over and we knew if we kept doing that, there was going to be one opportunity and Dean got that one opportunity." They have now gone 12 series without being beaten away from home and Smith thinks that has the makings of the start of a legacy similar to the Australia and West India sides of old. "I don't want to be throwing that label around to the public just yet, I think we still have a long way to go but I don't think many teams in the current set-up can travel as well as we do and be able to perform in the different environments and under the different pressures," he said. "I don't think the team gets enough credit for that. It's an immense record and we are very proud of it. We want to go on and win more series, dominate, we want to play good cricket set a standard and we are on the right path." How South Africa have managed to win away from home is, according to Smith, down mostly to experience. "Part of playing away from home is finding a way to morph in those conditions," he said. "We have a great understanding of that and how to work our way into conditions." That was why, unlike his surgeon, Smith never got to the point where he did not know what would work. At 1-0 down in the series, South Africa were confident of coming back. And despite Pakistan batting fluently with six wickets in hand, Smith had no doubt his bowlers would complete the job. Firdose Moonda is ESPNcricinfo's South Africa correspondent Feeds: Firdose Moonda © ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
Feeds: Firdose Moonda © ESPN Sports Media Ltd.Ajmal made to work hard, Younis catches the most
New ODI rules and faulty bowling shackle Dhoni The rule of having only four fielders in the deep to protect a less than incisive bowling line-up has placed limits on MS Dhoni's captaincy The issue with Ishant The fact that his wrist is not behind the ball and the seam doesn't come out upright speak volumes Kohli's costly drop Plays of the day from the fourth ODI between India and Australia in Ranchi Irfan finds the right length Not too many tall fast bowlers can pitch it up to good effect. Pakistan now have one, and he has the makings of a skilful customer Australia's latest ODI batting star George Bailey has played only 31 ODI innings, but during this period he has racked up astonishing numbers
South Africa penalised for ball-tampering
of your page where you want the widget to show up. --> South Africa penalised for ball-tamperingSouth Africa were penalised five runs for ball-tampering on the third day of the second Test against Pakistan in Dubai. Faf du Plessis was the player in the centre of the controversy and the ICC said its ruling on the incident will be announced tomorrow. The ICC confirmed that the five-run penalty and the change of ball after 30 overs was due to ball-tampering. "As per 42.1 of the ICC playing conditions, the umpires replaced the ball and fined South Africa team five penalty runs for ball-tampering," an ICC spokesperson said. The incident took place at the start of the 31st over of Pakistan's innings, two overs after tea, when umpires Ian Gould and Rod Tucker called South African captain Graeme Smith for a chat. The fourth umpire, Shozab Raza, brought a box of balls onto the field and a new one was selected for use. No individual player has been charged yet but television images showed du Plessis rubbing the ball allegedly on the zipper of his trouser pocket. The playing conditions (see sidebar) dealing with ball-tampering were changed recently, coming into effect only from October 1. Any player found guilty of ball-tampering, which is a Level Two offence, will be fined 50 to 100% of his match fee and/or get a ban of one Test or two ODIs or two Twenty20s, whichever come first. South Africa were well in control of the Test, having taken a commanding 418-run first-innings lead, when the incident occurred. The only other time a team was handed a five-run penalty for ball-tampering was in the infamous Oval Test in 2006, in which Pakistan refused to take the field after the umpires deemed that the seam on the ball had been raised. Firdose Moonda is ESPNcricinfo's South Africa correspondent Feeds: Firdose Moonda © ESPN Sports Media Ltd.Firdose Moonda
1st ODI: Pakistan v South Africa at Sharjah
Oct 30, 2013 (15:00 local | 11:00 GMT | 16:00 PKT) 2nd ODI: Pakistan v South Africa at Dubai (DSC)
Nov 1, 2013 (15:00 local | 11:00 GMT | 16:00 PKT) 3rd ODI: Pakistan v South Africa at Abu Dhabi
Nov 6, 2013 (15:00 local | 11:00 GMT | 16:00 PKT) 4th ODI: Pakistan v South Africa at Abu Dhabi
Nov 8, 2013 (15:00 local | 11:00 GMT | 16:00 PKT) 5th ODI: Pakistan v South Africa at Sharjah
Nov 11, 2013 (15:00 local | 11:00 GMT | 16:00 PKT) |
What Mitch doesMitchell Johnson has picked up his pace, and his bounce and late movement have got batsmen wary too, says Aakash Chopra One of us against usESPNcricinfo XI: A selection of people who did well in international cricket against the country of their birth Plenty to ponder for New ZealandAndrew Alderson: New Zealand's Test series against Bangladesh offered some positives but concerns remain, especially with the bowling unit and the openers 'Never want to average 20 in a series again'Matt Prior looks to return to form and gain the respect of Australia's fans during the Ashes summer. By Andrew McGlashanWhat's the right age to start wearing helmets? Michael Jeh: Do kids as young as eight need the protection, or do helmets just hamper their batting technique?
Feeds: Firdose Moonda © ESPN Sports Media Ltd.Firdose Moonda 1st ODI: Pakistan v South Africa at Sharjah Oct 30, 2013 (15:00 local | 11:00 GMT | 16:00 PKT) 2nd ODI: Pakistan v South Africa at Dubai (DSC)
Nov 1, 2013 (15:00 local | 11:00 GMT | 16:00 PKT) 3rd ODI: Pakistan v South Africa at Abu Dhabi
Nov 6, 2013 (15:00 local | 11:00 GMT | 16:00 PKT) 4th ODI: Pakistan v South Africa at Abu Dhabi
Nov 8, 2013 (15:00 local | 11:00 GMT | 16:00 PKT) 5th ODI: Pakistan v South Africa at Sharjah
Nov 11, 2013 (15:00 local | 11:00 GMT | 16:00 PKT) |
What Mitch doesMitchell Johnson has picked up his pace, and his bounce and late movement have got batsmen wary too, says Aakash Chopra One of us against usESPNcricinfo XI: A selection of people who did well in international cricket against the country of their birth Plenty to ponder for New ZealandAndrew Alderson: New Zealand's Test series against Bangladesh offered some positives but concerns remain, especially with the bowling unit and the openers 'Never want to average 20 in a series again'Matt Prior looks to return to form and gain the respect of Australia's fans during the Ashes summer. By Andrew McGlashanWhat's the right age to start wearing helmets? Michael Jeh: Do kids as young as eight need the protection, or do helmets just hamper their batting technique? Another 'C' word for South Africa?
South Africa's reputation of being arguably the most professional and respectable team has taken a hit by the ball-tampering episodeOnce the anger has subsided, there may be some time to appreciate the irony. Pakistan, the last and only other team to have penalty runs awarded against them for ball-tampering in a Test match, were on the receiving end of another side's wrongdoing. Despite AB de Villiers' insistence that South Africa "play in a fair manner", Faf du Plessis pleaded guilty to the Level 2 offense of changing the condition of the ball. His misdemeanour is in cricket circles what not wearing your seatbelt is in real life - it's the wrong thing to do but it's so widely done that it only really matters if you get caught. All teams look after the ball in ways they think will advantage them. That is allowed. What they are not allowed to do is change the ball so much that it disadvantages the other team disproportionately. That sounds confusing because it is and with so much grey area, there have been some arguments over the years to legalise "preparing" the ball. That is the term Allan Donald, the current South Africa bowling coach, used to describe what bowlers need to do to ensure they are not shut out of a game that has increasingly grown to advantage batsmen. Four years ago, Donald said bowlers need a defence mechanism to "fall back on" so that they are able to generate reverse swing on flatter pitches. While he said he knew the ICC would "shoot me for saying it", Donald advocated getting the ball "in the dirt" to accelerate the scuffing up of one side while protecting the other. Televisions pictures showed du Plessis was doing exactly that. He was rubbing the dry side of the ball on his trousers, in "vicinity of the zipper on his trouser pocket" as the ICC's release put it. Du Plessis' actions were brazen, they were easily found out by the cameras, immediately picked up by the television umpire, conveyed to his on-field colleagues and quickly acted on. The changes made to the playing conditions at the beginning of this month allowed Ian Gould and Rod Tucker to deal with the issue as soon as it happened. Perhaps South Africa were not aware that could happen. De Villiers revealed he did "not know all the facts of the matter" when runs were added to Pakistan's total and the ball was changed. He was certain South Africa had not done the wrong thing, even though the ICC immediately called it a case of ball-tampering. That was how the questions began. Why would a team 351 runs ahead, who had their opposition three down with more than two days left in the match on a surface that was deteriorating, feel they needed to do something extra? Yes, the Dubai surface has not got a drop of moisture the seamers can take advantage of, neither has it cracked open. But South Africa should not have been in that much of a hurry. 
All teams look after the ball in ways they think will advantage them. What they are not allowed to do is change the ball so much that it disadvantages the other team disproportionately © Getty Images
What they may have experienced was extreme frustration, particularly since they had dismantled their opposition for 99 in the same match and have become accustomed to ending Tests swiftly. De Villiers jokingly said South Africa would have liked to finish the match "in two days if we can". Even though that may be a reflection of what they really expected to happen, it reveals something about their impatience. Given the match situation and the nonchalance with which du Plessis conducted his mischief, could also be a sign this is something that they have become accustomed to doing. And that thought could be the most damaging thing to happen to South Africa in the aftermath of this incident. It means their previous performances will be scrutinised and their many fine achievements in the recent past examined with this incident in mind. Take, for example, just this match and you will find people wondering how it was possible that Dale Steyn managed to find reverse swing from the 20th over of the Pakistan first innings while Pakistan's bowlers barely found any for the 163.1 overs they were in the field. Having become the world's No.1 team on the back of a reputation for being a group of cricketers who conduct themselves arguably in the most professional and respectable way, to have a blight of this nature on their reputation will hurt South Africa. They are seen as a team who do the right thing, now one of them is seen as a culprit who got away. Du Plessis was fined 50% of his match fee after David Boon was "satisfied that this was not part of a deliberate and/or prolonged attempt to unfairly manipulate the condition of the ball". Boon called the sanction "appropriate". More severe sanctions attract a higher percentage of money being docked - up to 100% - and a match ban of one Test, two ODIs and two Twenty20s, but none of those were meted out to du Plessis despite the visual evidence suggesting he was aware of what he was doing. On the same day as Saeed Ajmal was officially reprimanded for excessive celebrations - something few people even noticed - it seemed as though the variance in the punishments for offenses was too great. When considered in the context of previous players who have been suspended for the same, such as Shoaib Akhtar and Shahid Afridi who had to sit out two matches each, du Plessis can be considered to have got off lightly. There may be other consequences and South Africa's clothing manufacturer may be among the parties involved. The zipped pockets could come under scrutiny and the mechanism may be removed. There may be a debate sparked about the various methods used to shine the ball and possibly another wave of lobbying for ball-tampering to be less regulated. For now, it remains a breach of the code of the conduct and if players are found doing it, they will probably be punished in some way. That is what happened to this South African team. Their defenders will say they just did what everyone else is doing and were not smart enough to hide it. Their critics will call them cheats. Like the other c-word they are called, it's not a label they will wear with pride. Firdose Moonda is ESPNcricinfo's South Africa correspondent Feeds: Firdose Moonda © ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
All teams look after the ball in ways they think will advantage them. What they are not allowed to do is change the ball so much that it disadvantages the other team disproportionately © Getty Images
What they may have experienced was extreme frustration, particularly since they had dismantled their opposition for 99 in the same match and have become accustomed to ending Tests swiftly. De Villiers jokingly said South Africa would have liked to finish the match "in two days if we can". Even though that may be a reflection of what they really expected to happen, it reveals something about their impatience. Given the match situation and the nonchalance with which du Plessis conducted his mischief, could also be a sign this is something that they have become accustomed to doing. And that thought could be the most damaging thing to happen to South Africa in the aftermath of this incident. It means their previous performances will be scrutinised and their many fine achievements in the recent past examined with this incident in mind. Take, for example, just this match and you will find people wondering how it was possible that Dale Steyn managed to find reverse swing from the 20th over of the Pakistan first innings while Pakistan's bowlers barely found any for the 163.1 overs they were in the field. Having become the world's No.1 team on the back of a reputation for being a group of cricketers who conduct themselves arguably in the most professional and respectable way, to have a blight of this nature on their reputation will hurt South Africa. They are seen as a team who do the right thing, now one of them is seen as a culprit who got away. Du Plessis was fined 50% of his match fee after David Boon was "satisfied that this was not part of a deliberate and/or prolonged attempt to unfairly manipulate the condition of the ball". Boon called the sanction "appropriate". More severe sanctions attract a higher percentage of money being docked - up to 100% - and a match ban of one Test, two ODIs and two Twenty20s, but none of those were meted out to du Plessis despite the visual evidence suggesting he was aware of what he was doing. On the same day as Saeed Ajmal was officially reprimanded for excessive celebrations - something few people even noticed - it seemed as though the variance in the punishments for offenses was too great. When considered in the context of previous players who have been suspended for the same, such as Shoaib Akhtar and Shahid Afridi who had to sit out two matches each, du Plessis can be considered to have got off lightly. There may be other consequences and South Africa's clothing manufacturer may be among the parties involved. The zipped pockets could come under scrutiny and the mechanism may be removed. There may be a debate sparked about the various methods used to shine the ball and possibly another wave of lobbying for ball-tampering to be less regulated. For now, it remains a breach of the code of the conduct and if players are found doing it, they will probably be punished in some way. That is what happened to this South African team. Their defenders will say they just did what everyone else is doing and were not smart enough to hide it. Their critics will call them cheats. Like the other c-word they are called, it's not a label they will wear with pride. Firdose Moonda is ESPNcricinfo's South Africa correspondent
Feeds: Firdose Moonda © ESPN Sports Media Ltd.WAPDA complete 213-run victory
Water and Power Development Authority completed an emphatic 213-run victory over Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited. WAPDA batted first, putting up a strong first innings total of 311, led by Aamer Sajjad (81) and Adnan Raees (68). Imran Khan was the pick of the bowlers with 5 for 70, and was ably supported by Zafar Gohar's 3 for 60. ZTBL's reply was rather flat as they only scored 185, with Naved-ul-Hasan doing the most damage with 4 for 28. Only Yasir Hameed stood out with his score of 70. WAPDA then added 237 in their second innings, with Mohammad Ayub scoring 64. This created a target of 364 for ZTBL, and it was vital that the top order provided useful starts. However, this would not be the case as Sharjeel Khan and Imran Nazir were the only batsmen to hit fifties as ZTBL folded for just 150, with each of the WAPDA bowlers taking at least two wickets. The opening match between Faisalabad and Multan petered out to a draw in Faisalabad. Multan batted first and posted 427, with Usman Liaqat top-scoring with 176. Contributions from Waqar Hussain (51) and Kashif Naved (64) did not go amiss, while Adnan Munir was the pick of the bowlers with 5 for 101. In reply, Faisalabad put up an impressive 475, courtesy lower-order centuries from Zeeshan Butt (102) and Fahim Ashraf (116). Both Shahbaz Hussain and Asif Fawad took four wickets a piece, as Faisalabad held a slight lead of 48 runs. Multan batted well again in their second innings, with Ahmed Rasheed making 99, while Mohammad Imran finished unbeaten on 51, as the teams held for a draw. State Bank of Pakistan completed a 133-run victory over Habib Bank Limited in Islamabad. After opting to bat, SBP put on 226, thanks largely to fifties from Raheel Majeed and Usman Saeed. Ehsan Adil and Sarmad Anwar were the pick of the Habib Bank bowlers, taking 5 for 53 and 3 for 37 respectively. Habib Bank matched SBP's first innings score with key contributions from Hasan Raza (45), Rameez Aziz (43) and Adil (40). Saad Altaf took a five-for as things remained even-stevens. SBP put on a sizable 293 in their second innings, with Rizwan Haider's 60 the top score. Sarmad took 4 for 80 and was ably supported by Mohammad Aslam's 3 for 50. With 294 to chase, Habib Bank looked in trouble as they lost both their openers for just 8 runs. The middle order simply did not capitalise on their starts as Tabish Khan ran through the line-up to finish with 5 for 67. Mohammad Naved also chipped in by taking 3 for 46 as Habib Bank was dismissed for 160. National Bank of Pakistan kicked off their President's Trophy campaign with a seven-wicket win over Pakistan International Airlines in Sialkot. After being put into bat, PIA posted just 135 in their first innings as Hammad Azam and Zia-ul-Haq ran through the order, picking up four and three wickets respectively. Despite losing opener Anwaar Hafeez inside the first over, Sami Aslam (109) and Kamran Akmal (53) ensured NBP did not make the same mistakes as they scored 278. Shoaib Malik was the pick of the PIA bowlers with 5 for 78. Facing a 143-run deficit, PIA did their best to run up a big total, but faltered as NBP's bowlers, led by Adnan Rasool's 4 for 64, restricted them to 218 in the second innings. Only Malik and No. 9 Rafaiy Safdar posted fifties in the second innings for PIA. With just 76 to chase, NBP did the needful in just under 19 overs. Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited began their title defence with a five-run win over Port Qasim Authority in Rawalpindi. SNGPL opted to bat first, but lost wickets at regular intervals and were restricted to 178 by PQA's bowlers, led by Abdur Rauf's 5 for 52. PQA's openers put on 34 but the rest of their batsmen struggled to make meaningful contributions. Medium pacer Imran Ali led SNGPL's charge, taking 8 for 42 as PQA were skittled for 132. With a slight lead of 46 runs, it was imperative SNGPL put on a strong total to build a sizeable lead. However, the PQA bowlers reduced SNGPL to 33 for 4 early on, with each of the bowlers chipping in. Only Ali Waqas and Khurram Shehzad posted over 30 runs, as Mohammad Talha and Mohammad Sami picked up 4 for 26 and 3 for 26 respectively to dismiss SNGPL for 110. Chasing 157, Imran Ali's 5 for 55 tore through the top and middle order but PQA were still in sight of victory at 138 for 8, needing another 19 runs, but Sohail Khan's wicket on 151 meant they fell just short of the target. Khan Research Laboratories beat Pakistan Television by six wickets to register an opening win in the competition. Pakistan Television batted first and only put on 125, with Sadaf Hussain (5 for 36) doing most damage, ably supported by Yasir Arafat's 3 for 57. In reply, KRL put on 159, boosted by No. 10 Umaid Asif's counterattacking 47 off 57 balls. Rizwan Akbar starred with the ball for PTV, taking 5 for 47, and Waqar Ahmed chipped in with 3 for 40. Imran Ali and Haroon Ahmed put on a better show in the second innings for PTV, adding 91 for the first wicket. But down the order, apart from Rizwan Ahmed's 74, the rest of the batting folded without much fight. PTV lost wickets in clusters at several points in the innings, with four wickets falling for just 10 runs towards the end. Facing a chase of 200 runs, KRL overhauled the target without too much trouble. Saeed Anwar jnr's 74 and Usman Salahuddin's unbeaten 62 helped KRL reach the total within 42 overs.
Smith scores a double, 9000 and equals Bradman
New ODI rules and faulty bowling shackle Dhoni The rule of having only four fielders in the deep to protect a less than incisive bowling line-up has placed limits on MS Dhoni's captaincy The issue with Ishant The fact that his wrist is not behind the ball and the seam doesn't come out upright speak volumes Kohli's costly drop Plays of the day from the fourth ODI between India and Australia in Ranchi Irfan finds the right length Not too many tall fast bowlers can pitch it up to good effect. Pakistan now have one, and he has the makings of a skilful customer Australia's latest ODI batting star George Bailey has played only 31 ODI innings, but during this period he has racked up astonishing numbers
Smith plans more pain for Pakistan
South Africa are not done yet. Graeme Smith has promised they will keep piling on the runs to try and set up a series-levelling innings win over Pakistan. With Smith and AB de Villiers both well set and JP Duminy and Faf du Plessis to come, the South African captain said he wants to occupy the crease for the best of its batting time before putting Pakistan back in. "Ideally we want to bat once and allow the wicket to deteriorate a little more. It's pretty dry at the moment," Smith said. "The goal for today was to get ourselves into a winning position. Our innings was still in the balance when Dale went. But then the way AB transferred pressure made my life easier and we are in a good position now. We've got to come out tomorrow and work ourselves into a position where we feel we can win the game." Smith said he does not have a total in mind where that position will be reached just yet. With the lead already at 361, South Africa are likely to continue batting past an advantage of 450 which will require Pakistan to bat better than they have in over a year to save the match. The last time Pakistan scored in excess of 450 was against Sri Lanka in June last year but Mohammad Akram, their bowling coach, has reason to believe they can do it again. "Winning the toss and batting first showed we were confident this was a batting pitch and will play very well for the next three days. The batsmen are optimistic they are can apply themselves as and bat for as long as possible in the next innings," he said. Those words will not provide much solace to Pakistan fans who will wonder why, if Pakistan were so certain of batting out a long period, they imploded for 99 on the first day. Akram had no explanation for the dramatic turnaround from the way they played in Abu Dhabi. "That has been the case for a long time and we do accept that," he said. "We are working on a lot of things and trying to overcome it but at the moment, that's how it is." Akram's words are not that of a fighting man and one can hardly blame him for his slumped shoulders. His bowlers lacked the bite they did in the first Test and the few chances they created - like the one to have de Villiers caught off the first ball he faced - were squandered. Akram did not lay blame on his under-pressure attack, though. "The bowlers tried their best, especially Mohammad Irfan," he said. Irfan bowled in the upper 140kph range throughout the day and ensured the South Africa batsmen were kept on the toes even though he had little reward. Irfan took the only wicket of the day and should have another in de Villiers, but instead Pakistan were made to toil. "When AB de Villiers is dropped, he makes you pay. It's very difficult to stop his runs on a batting wicket," Akram said. He did not think there was a lack of ideas or an over-reliance on Saeed Ajmal just a case of unhelpful conditions and a batting line-up that came good. "In Abu Dhabi, it wasn't only Saeed Ajmal, everybody chipped in. The wicket was really good and both the players who were batting there are great cricketers," he said. Smith agreed that South Africa were bound to get better after the 249 they made in the first innings of the first Test and was pleased to see how swiftly they turned their approach around. "We had to improve from there. 90% of the time this batting line-up produces the goods," he said. "I felt we were a little soft in Abu Dhabi but we've had some good chats, worked on a few things like reverse swing and it paid off." Now he wants to see his bowlers tighten the screws and finish Pakistan off. First, though, there's a bit more batting to do. Firdose Moonda is ESPNcricinfo's South Africa correspondent Feeds: Firdose Moonda © ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
Feeds: Firdose Moonda © ESPN Sports Media Ltd.Pakistan mulling short tour of South Africa
New ODI rules and faulty bowling shackle Dhoni The rule of having only four fielders in the deep to protect a less than incisive bowling line-up has placed limits on MS Dhoni's captaincy The issue with Ishant The fact that his wrist is not behind the ball and the seam doesn't come out upright speak volumes Kohli's costly drop Plays of the day from the fourth ODI between India and Australia in Ranchi Irfan finds the right length Not too many tall fast bowlers can pitch it up to good effect. Pakistan now have one, and he has the makings of a skilful customer Australia's latest ODI batting star George Bailey has played only 31 ODI innings, but during this period he has racked up astonishing numbers
South Africa preserve away record in Test series
South Africa 517 (Smith 234, de Villiers 164, Ajmal 6-151) beat Pakistan 99 (Tahir 5-32) & 326 (Shafiq 130, Duminy 3-67) by an innings and 92 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details South Africa's unbeaten run in Test series on the road will extend even further after their victory in Dubai, which allowed them to share the spoils of this two-match rubber with Pakistan. The last time South Africa lost a Test series abroad was in Sri Lanka in 2006. Since then, they have become the No. 1 ranked Test team and they will stay there, but their lead will be cut by four points by virtue of the drawn series. Pakistan have risen to No. 4, thanks to their victory in Abu Dhabi, but were unable to protect fortress UAE, losing in their adopted home for the first time since moving here in 2010. They went down fighting though, with Asad Shafiq notching up his highest score in Test cricket and sharing in a 197-run fifth wicket stand with Misbah-ul-Haq, which kept South Africa in the field for much longer than they would have anticipated. On the fourth evening, AB de Villiers said the team felt they were one wicket away from running through Pakistan. That dismissal came 20 minutes before tea as Misbah, who had treated South Africa's attack with the caution of someone handling a shipment of crystal glasses, gifted Dean Elgar, the part-time spinner, his first Test wicket. In Elgar's second over, Misbah attempted to slog him out of the park, but got a thick outside edge which Jacques Kallis collected at first slip. That ended a vigil in which Misbah had ushered Shafiq to his second century against this opposition, and the fourth of his career, and seen off the second new ball to put Pakistan in a position to frustrate South Africa even further. They had only one wicket-taking opportunity before Misbah's lapse in concentration, when Shafiq was given out lbw in the fifth over to a Vernon Philander delivery that pitched on leg-stump and hit him on the front pad. He was on 36 at the time and reviewed with replays showing the ball would have missed leg stump. Shafiq survived and went on to play a balanced innings combining defence with attack, particularly against the spinners. His footwork against Imran Tahir and JP Duminy was excellent, typified by the shot of the day - a spank over midwicket off Tahir. Misbah was more stoic, nudging the ball into spaces and encouraging Shafiq to keep the scoreboard moving, but not too quickly. They both brought up half-centuries off 121 balls before slowing down as the second new ball came. Once comfortable against it, Shafiq pushed past his captain after lunch. He danced into the nineties with a boundary off Duminy and brought up his century with a square drive off a full and wide ball from the same bowler. Encouragingly for Pakistan, once the milestone had been reached, Shafiq kept going. Misbah will be furious that he did not do the same. Although South Africa's attack did not lapse into the lazy short-ball showing they put on in Abu Dhabi, they seemed to be running out of ideas. After trying everything from having two short midwickets in against the spinners - between whom Shafiq threaded the ball through - to having two short covers in for the quicks, Smith turned to Elgar to buy time. Smith would probably not have imagined getting a wicket off the tactic, Elgar's delivery was innocuous as well, but once Misbah ran out of patience, the result was a foregone conclusion. Pakistan's tail proved pesky to remove even though they were without Zulfiqar Babar, who did not bat because of the torn webbing on his right hand. With a ball short of 10 overs remaining in the day, Shafiq, after resisting for seven hours, was stumped off JP Duminy, to give him the same number of wickets as Tahir in the innings - three. On this day in 1952 Pakistan won their first Test, beating India in Lucknow. They did not have reason to celebrate on their anniversary but they did enjoy some positive signs as they dragged the Test late into the fourth afternoon and pushed South Africa as much as they could given their first innings failing. Firdose Moonda is ESPNcricinfo's South Africa correspondent Feeds: Firdose Moonda © ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details South Africa's unbeaten run in Test series on the road will extend even further after their victory in Dubai, which allowed them to share the spoils of this two-match rubber with Pakistan. The last time South Africa lost a Test series abroad was in Sri Lanka in 2006. Since then, they have become the No. 1 ranked Test team and they will stay there, but their lead will be cut by four points by virtue of the drawn series. Pakistan have risen to No. 4, thanks to their victory in Abu Dhabi, but were unable to protect fortress UAE, losing in their adopted home for the first time since moving here in 2010. They went down fighting though, with Asad Shafiq notching up his highest score in Test cricket and sharing in a 197-run fifth wicket stand with Misbah-ul-Haq, which kept South Africa in the field for much longer than they would have anticipated. On the fourth evening, AB de Villiers said the team felt they were one wicket away from running through Pakistan. That dismissal came 20 minutes before tea as Misbah, who had treated South Africa's attack with the caution of someone handling a shipment of crystal glasses, gifted Dean Elgar, the part-time spinner, his first Test wicket. In Elgar's second over, Misbah attempted to slog him out of the park, but got a thick outside edge which Jacques Kallis collected at first slip. That ended a vigil in which Misbah had ushered Shafiq to his second century against this opposition, and the fourth of his career, and seen off the second new ball to put Pakistan in a position to frustrate South Africa even further. They had only one wicket-taking opportunity before Misbah's lapse in concentration, when Shafiq was given out lbw in the fifth over to a Vernon Philander delivery that pitched on leg-stump and hit him on the front pad. He was on 36 at the time and reviewed with replays showing the ball would have missed leg stump. Shafiq survived and went on to play a balanced innings combining defence with attack, particularly against the spinners. His footwork against Imran Tahir and JP Duminy was excellent, typified by the shot of the day - a spank over midwicket off Tahir. Misbah was more stoic, nudging the ball into spaces and encouraging Shafiq to keep the scoreboard moving, but not too quickly. They both brought up half-centuries off 121 balls before slowing down as the second new ball came. Once comfortable against it, Shafiq pushed past his captain after lunch. He danced into the nineties with a boundary off Duminy and brought up his century with a square drive off a full and wide ball from the same bowler. Encouragingly for Pakistan, once the milestone had been reached, Shafiq kept going. Misbah will be furious that he did not do the same. Although South Africa's attack did not lapse into the lazy short-ball showing they put on in Abu Dhabi, they seemed to be running out of ideas. After trying everything from having two short midwickets in against the spinners - between whom Shafiq threaded the ball through - to having two short covers in for the quicks, Smith turned to Elgar to buy time. Smith would probably not have imagined getting a wicket off the tactic, Elgar's delivery was innocuous as well, but once Misbah ran out of patience, the result was a foregone conclusion. Pakistan's tail proved pesky to remove even though they were without Zulfiqar Babar, who did not bat because of the torn webbing on his right hand. With a ball short of 10 overs remaining in the day, Shafiq, after resisting for seven hours, was stumped off JP Duminy, to give him the same number of wickets as Tahir in the innings - three. On this day in 1952 Pakistan won their first Test, beating India in Lucknow. They did not have reason to celebrate on their anniversary but they did enjoy some positive signs as they dragged the Test late into the fourth afternoon and pushed South Africa as much as they could given their first innings failing. Firdose Moonda is ESPNcricinfo's South Africa correspondent
Feeds: Firdose Moonda © ESPN Sports Media Ltd.Shafiq's coming of age provides comfort
Not many things went right for Pakistan in the second Test in Dubai, but Asad Shafiq's fighting century against the best Test side in the world, proved that he has the temperament to lead Pakistan's next generation of batsmenWhen Misbah-ul-Haq made the mistake of thinking he could slog Dean Elgar as far as the Burj Khalifa, a resistance that threatened to ease the margin of Pakistan's loss - because avoiding defeat altogether was not a realistic possibility - seemed set to unravel. The captain left Asad Shafiq to stall South Africa's attack with the tail and even the most optimistic of Pakistan supporters predicted a swift end. For an hour, Shafiq held defeat at bay. In the process, he notched up his highest Test score, a second century against the world's top-ranked team this year, and showed how much he has progressed as a batsman. Having impressed with the way he handled the seamers and took on the spinner with Misbah at his side, Shafiq also understood that he had to slow down, shoulder the responsibility, and only take runs when he was absolutely certain he was not putting the man on the other end, and by extension his team, in a position from which they would collapse. When Adnan Akmal, who struggled throughout the series, was his partner, Shafiq faced Morne Morkel, letting Akmal deal with Imran Tahir. With Saeed Ajmal, Shafiq sensed a little more freedom so he allowed a few mid-over singles and even let himself show off, pulling and then driving Vernon Philander for consecutive fours. He played with maturity towards the end, showing enough faith in Mohammed Irfan and Junaid Khan to give them the strike but not taking too many risks even though the end was nigh. It seemed as though the patience he had afforded when he batted with Younis Khan in Cape Town earlier this year, and with Misbah for much of his innings in Dubai, was paying off. Shafiq has had the benefit of spending long periods at the crease with Pakistan's senior statesmen and he seems to have learnt from it. From the moment he came in to bat, he would have seen how Misbah was absorbing the pressure. Whether he was foxed by an Tahir googly, rattled by a Morkel bouncer, or was on the receiving end of extreme pace and angry eyes from Dale Steyn, Misbah reacted in the same way. Misbah waited for the end of the delivery, strolled in the direction of square leg, composed himself, and came back to face the next one. He treated each ball like a chapter in a book, turning the page, leaving it behind and then carrying on with the next one. Shafiq did not show the same composure as he neared his century and it appeared he was getting a little overexcited with his desire to charge JP Duminy. However, a calming influence in Misbah at the other end ensured that Shafiq operated within certain confines. He was encouraged to attack the short ball, something he has shown both in South Africa and during this series. He has also, simply by watching watching Misbah, learnt to judge things with caution. In getting the balance right, Shafiq justified the selectors' decision to stick with him despite a lean run in Zimbabwe, and showed his own ability to read the game and understand a match situation. "That is a really big plus for us," Misbah said. "Everybody knows he is capable of that. He got a really good hundred in South Africa but he was a bit short of confidence coming in to this series. This innings was special because the pitch wasn't easy and the bowling was good. He really played a masterful innings." With the South African seamers testing the batsmen with control, Shafiq's concentration was tested. So was his intent, because if he had stopped scoring runs, he could have forced himself into a corner where making a mistake was possible. The way he responded is what impressed Misbah the most. "In situations against the top side in the world, character is important," he said. "You have to stand tall and take on the bowlers. They were using the rough very well but he was good and positive, he used his feet well and read the situation well." Shafiq has played 23 Tests overs three years but Misbah believes it is only now that "he has started to understand the demands of Test cricket." With that kind of experience needed before a player can get out of the starting blocks, its easy to see why Misbah does not want to dispense with the likes of Khurram Manzoor and Shan Masood, who indicated they could be a solution to the opening conundrum in the first Test, but were dispatched cheaply in the second, and Azhar Ali, who is enduring a lean trot. Pakistan had a host of problems after the first innings failure but by the end of the match, Shafiq wasn't one of them. "In the coming years you might not have me and Younis Khan around and he is the one who can gather the Pakistan line up. He has the talent and he has the temperament to take the batting forward." Firdose Moonda is ESPNcricinfo's South Africa correspondent Feeds: Firdose Moonda © ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
Feeds: Firdose Moonda © ESPN Sports Media Ltd.South Africa sense swift finish
New ODI rules and faulty bowling shackle Dhoni The rule of having only four fielders in the deep to protect a less than incisive bowling line-up has placed limits on MS Dhoni's captaincy The issue with Ishant The fact that his wrist is not behind the ball and the seam doesn't come out upright speak volumes Kohli's costly drop Plays of the day from the fourth ODI between India and Australia in Ranchi Irfan finds the right length Not too many tall fast bowlers can pitch it up to good effect. Pakistan now have one, and he has the makings of a skilful customer Australia's latest ODI batting star George Bailey has played only 31 ODI innings, but during this period he has racked up astonishing numbers
Hafeez agrees to BBL contract with Renegades
New ODI rules and faulty bowling shackle Dhoni The rule of having only four fielders in the deep to protect a less than incisive bowling line-up has placed limits on MS Dhoni's captaincy The issue with Ishant The fact that his wrist is not behind the ball and the seam doesn't come out upright speak volumes Kohli's costly drop Plays of the day from the fourth ODI between India and Australia in Ranchi Irfan finds the right length Not too many tall fast bowlers can pitch it up to good effect. Pakistan now have one, and he has the makings of a skilful customer Australia's latest ODI batting star George Bailey has played only 31 ODI innings, but during this period he has racked up astonishing numbers
Ajmal reprimanded for on-field celebrations
New ODI rules and faulty bowling shackle Dhoni The rule of having only four fielders in the deep to protect a less than incisive bowling line-up has placed limits on MS Dhoni's captaincy The issue with Ishant The fact that his wrist is not behind the ball and the seam doesn't come out upright speak volumes Kohli's costly drop Plays of the day from the fourth ODI between India and Australia in Ranchi Irfan finds the right length Not too many tall fast bowlers can pitch it up to good effect. Pakistan now have one, and he has the makings of a skilful customer Australia's latest ODI batting star George Bailey has played only 31 ODI innings, but during this period he has racked up astonishing numbers
Du Plessis pleads guilty, fined for ball-tampering
New ODI rules and faulty bowling shackle Dhoni The rule of having only four fielders in the deep to protect a less than incisive bowling line-up has placed limits on MS Dhoni's captaincy The issue with Ishant The fact that his wrist is not behind the ball and the seam doesn't come out upright speak volumes Kohli's costly drop Plays of the day from the fourth ODI between India and Australia in Ranchi Irfan finds the right length Not too many tall fast bowlers can pitch it up to good effect. Pakistan now have one, and he has the makings of a skilful customer Australia's latest ODI batting star George Bailey has played only 31 ODI innings, but during this period he has racked up astonishing numbers
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