PAK vs SA, 5th ODI, Lahore : South Africa spoils Akhtar's comeback with a stunning 14-run win to take series
Oct 29, 2007
South Africa spoiled Pakistan paceman Shoaib Akhtar's comeback match Monday with a stunning 14-run victory in the fifth and final limited-overs game to clinch the series 3-2.
Pakistan was coasting along well at 199 for four in the 41st over before it lost the last six wickets for 20 runs in 36 deliveries to get dismissed for 219 in 46.3 overs.
Akhtar took four for 43 to restrict South Africa to 233-9 off 50 overs with Jacques Kallis scoring a fighting 86 and Herschelle Gibbs making a fine 54.
"It was an unbelievable finish," said South Africa captain Graeme Smith, whose team also defeated Pakistan 1-0 in the Test series earlier this month.
"When I walked in for fielding, I knew we could defend 233 because the wicket was slow and every time you tried to push the scoring you lost the wicket."
Younis Khan (58) and Mohammad Yousuf (53) shared a valuable 106-run partnership off 134 balls before Pakistan stuttered in its run chase with Albie Morkel grabbing four wickets for 44 and man of the match Makhaya Ntini taking 4-61.
PAK vs SA, 4th ODI, Multan : South Africa 233-9 (50 overs) beat Pakistan 219 (46.3 overs) by 14 runs
PAK vs SA, 5th ODI, Lahore : Shoaib set to shine, says Malik
Oct 29, 2007
Recalled paceman Shoaib Akhtar has been tipped to bowl Pakistan to a series win over South Africa in Lahore today. Controversial seamer Shoaib returns to the side after serving a 13-game ban, for the Series decider. South Africa beat Pakistan in the fourth match in Multan on to level the series at 2-2, and set up a nail-biting final.
Following that result, Pakistan recalled Shoaib, who has finished serving his ban, handed out for striking a team-mate with a bat. And now, Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik believes he can get the best out of the troubled Akhtar.
"It is a great opportunity to win a series against South Africa for the first time and we will use Akhtar as our main bowler in the hope of bringing the best out of him," said Malik. Akhtar was suspended and fined $56,000 fine for hitting Mohammad Asif during practice ahead of the Twenty20 World Cup. But that is all forgotten now and he has also been backed to star in the side’s tour of arch-rivals India.
The 2009 ICC World Twenty20 is a Twenty20 cricket tournament scheduled to take place in England in June of 2009. It will be the second World Twenty20 and will consist of 12 teams, contested by all Test-playing nations plus qualifiers (Ireland, Netherlands and Scotland)
The Champions Twenty20 League, formed with the official sanction of ICC will kick off in October 2008. Eight domestic teams from four nations will participate. Cricket Australia will partner the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and Cricket South Africa (CSA). The champion team in the Champions Twenty20 league will get US $5 million, which is the highest ever prize money for a cricket event.
