South Africa v Pakistan, 2012-13
Wisden's review of the fourth ODI, South Africa v Pakistan, 2012-13
15-Apr-2014
At Durban, March 21, 2013. Pakistan won by three wickets. Toss: South Africa.
Mohammad Hafeez became the fourth man given out in a one-day international for obstructing the field - and the first under regulations introduced in 2011 that punish altering the course of a run. TV umpire Billy Bowden was absolutely correct, despite the controversy his decision aroused in the second over of Pakistan's reply. Hafeez later claimed he had "not looked behind" when the ball was thrown by keeper de Villiers towards the stumps. Television replays were hardly needed to confirm the evidence of the naked eye: Hafeez had altered the line of his run by two yards in order to protect the stumps. But from 33 for three, Pakistan were boosted by a stand of 153 between Imran Farhat, whose obduracy - his half-century required 97 balls - was perfect for the circumstances, and the aggressive Misbah-ul-Haq. Despite a couple of late scares, Pakistan squared the series with eight balls to spare. Earlier, Mohammad Irfan made early inroads for the third game in a row, this time dramatically removing Amla and Ingram with the first two balls of the match. De Villiers found an ally in Miller, who eventually fell to Saeed Ajmal's quicker ball to end a fifth-wicket stand of 115. The omission of Nasir Jamshed meant that, for the first time, Pakistan fielded nine players aged 30 or over - one short of the record, by Bermuda against the Netherlands at Potchefstroom in November 2006.
Man of the Match: Misbah-ul-Haq.
Mohammad Hafeez became the fourth man given out in a one-day international for obstructing the field - and the first under regulations introduced in 2011 that punish altering the course of a run. TV umpire Billy Bowden was absolutely correct, despite the controversy his decision aroused in the second over of Pakistan's reply. Hafeez later claimed he had "not looked behind" when the ball was thrown by keeper de Villiers towards the stumps. Television replays were hardly needed to confirm the evidence of the naked eye: Hafeez had altered the line of his run by two yards in order to protect the stumps. But from 33 for three, Pakistan were boosted by a stand of 153 between Imran Farhat, whose obduracy - his half-century required 97 balls - was perfect for the circumstances, and the aggressive Misbah-ul-Haq. Despite a couple of late scares, Pakistan squared the series with eight balls to spare. Earlier, Mohammad Irfan made early inroads for the third game in a row, this time dramatically removing Amla and Ingram with the first two balls of the match. De Villiers found an ally in Miller, who eventually fell to Saeed Ajmal's quicker ball to end a fifth-wicket stand of 115. The omission of Nasir Jamshed meant that, for the first time, Pakistan fielded nine players aged 30 or over - one short of the record, by Bermuda against the Netherlands at Potchefstroom in November 2006.
Man of the Match: Misbah-ul-Haq.