Date-stamped : 18 Oct97 - 06:20
ay 1 Report from the Electronic Telegraph

Test wash-out more than a mere farce

By Peter Deeley in Sheikhupura

THE word farce was hardly an adequate description for the
lamentable conditions here for the second Test between Pakistan
and South Africa, which was abandoned half-an-hour after the
scheduled start of the first day.

Following a 6.30 am wake-up call, the players arrived to find
overnight rain had seeped through the apologies for ground
covers, leaving three huge damp patches on one side of the
pitch.

One stretched some six feet into the crease area. No attempt had
been made to cover the bowlers' run-ups, contrary to
International Cricket Council rules. Rain collected on top of
the wheeled covers instead of running off into the gutterings
and eventually seeped through the worn cloth. Below, the
tarpaulins -little more than a collection of torn rags - helped
to maximise the concentration of water on the pitch.

When more rain fell an hour before the start, the whole Heath
Robinson contraption was reassembled and predictably, when again
removed, a deep puddle of water appeared on the crease at the
other end.

By the time the teams were on their way back, new covers had
been brought in from the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, though
prospects of play today are still doubtful.

This ground is now in its third year, the brain-child of the
town's deputy commissioner (or municipal chieftan) whose word is
law. It staged its first Test a year ago when Zimbabwe played a
match unaffected by rain.

Millions of pounds were spent erecting the stadium, but nothing
was left over for such essentials as adequate pitch covering or
drainage. The only explanation forthcoming from the Pakistan
side was "but it never rains here at this time of year".

After viewing the scene, Ali Bacher, managing director of the
South African United Cricket Board, commented: "These new
grounds should be developed by way of one-day internationals.
Tests must be played in established centres. There's so much at
stake these days - not least sponsorship deals and television
money."

ICC match referees are now grading grounds, based on the
facilities, in order to achieve an acceptable worldwide
standard. There is little doubt the official here, Ranjan
Madugalle, will give Sheikhupura low marks - and not only for
the inadequate covers.

The players have to travel 30 miles to the ground through
horrendous traffic conditions. It takes over an hour each way,
even with a police escort, to guide them through the buses and
bullock carts. Bacher said: "For international players to make
this journey five days running is very tough."

He revealed that in South Africa, the six Test grounds are being
judged on the quality of their facilities - everything from
scorers to pitch covers. "If they don't measure up they face
serious problems," he said.

St George's Park, in Port Elizabeth, is already on a final
warning, Bacher said, after two contraventions of Test match
preparations during the Australia game earlier this year. "If it
happens again they won't get another Test."

Next month's West Indies Test, which was to have been staged at
Gujrunwala, has been moved for reasons similar to those
affecting Sheikhupura. So when England next tour Pakistan, they
must resist any attempt by the home board to stage a Test at
either venue.

Source :: Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk)

Day 2 Report- Dawn

Honours shared equally in second Test

By Ilyas Beg

SHEIKHUPURA, Oct 18: Honours were shared in the two sessions of
play on the second day of the second cricket Test between
Pakistan and South Africa which finally got under way at the
Sheikhupura staduim on Saturday at 1:30 pm after 540 minutes
play was lost due to rain and its after-effects. In the
post-lunch session, the South African openers dominated the
proceedings. However, in the post-tea session, first the great
left-arm paceman Wasim Akram struck to dismiss the dangerous
looking Gary Kirsten and later the diminutive leg spinner
Mushtaq Ahmad accounted for the "big bird" Brian McMillan to
even the honours for Pakistan. At stumps, South African scored
154 for two in 195 minutes, consuming 53 overs.

Young opener Adam Bacher at 78 and the reliable South Africa
batsman Daryll Gullanin at one will resume the visitors' first
innings on third morning of the match on Sunday. The pitch looks
slow and spinners like Mushtaq Ahmad, who bowled splendidly in
the second spell and also snapped up a wicket, along with
off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq and debutant right-arm leg-spinner
Ali Husain Rizvi can trouble the South African batsmen, and can
limit the visitors total, provided the catches are not dropped
and they get backing from the fielders.

If Ali Husain Rizvi made his Test debut at Sheikhupura for
Pakistan so did the 20-year-old Mark Boucher for South Africa.
He has come as a re-enforcement after Shultz had to return home
due to shoulder trouble. The regular South African wicketkeeper
Dave Richardson is also unfit and Mark has been inducted in the
side as wicketkeeper / batsman. Alan Donald had to sit out from
the visiting team due to strained-thigh muscle and so did the
Pakistani speed-merchant like him Waqar Younis, who is suffering
from foot-injury sustained while playing for Glamorgan in
English cricket season but aggravated now. Donald will miss the
four-nation Independence Cup Cricket Tournament at Lahore also
as the team-management do not want to lose him for the Test
series against Australia.

Although he offered two chances, which went abegging, yet young
Adam Bacher played an enterprising, unbeaten knock of 78. He has
played for 195 minutes and faced 162 balls in his strokeful
innings. Adam hoisted Saqlain Mushtaq over mid-wicket for the
only six of the day besides hitting ten elegant boundaries. Adam
Bacher and Gary Kirsten laid a foundation of the South African
first innings by taking the total to 135 before being separated.
After being missed by Muhammad Waseem early in the innings, Adam
Bacher was dropped by Inzimam-ul-Haq in slips off the debutant
Ali Husain Rizvi at his personal score of 64.

At tea-interval, South Africa reached 89 without loss. Adam
Bacher cover-drove Saqlain Mushtaq to complete his half-century.
Soon after the tea interval, South Africa raced to 100 without
losing a wicket. If Bacher executed his variety of shots in the
post-lunch session he became cautious afterwards. After the
tea-break, Gary Kirsten played some delectable shots. Kirsten
completed his 50 off a cover-drive on a delivery from Ali Hsain
Rizvi. However, the reliable opener could not last long. While
trying to work an inswinger from Wasim Akram on the off-side,
Gary Kirsten edged the ball on to his stumps amidst a roar from
the jubilant crowd and embraces by teammates to Wasim Akram, who
was finally rewarded for his fiery second spell. Kirsten looked
back to see his stump shattered.

Captain Saeed Anwar put pressure on the one-downbatsman Brian
McMillan, who had filled the void created by an appendicitis
operation of Kallis on Friday and who is returning home.
McMillan snicked a delivery from right arm leg-spinner Mushtaq
Ahmed and wicketkeeper Moin Khan made a vociferous appeal along
with all the close-in fielders only to see umpire K.T. Francis
finger go up without the slightest hesitation. The unlucky
all-rounder scored only seven and fell at the total of 152.
Daryll Cullanin walked-in in a dangerous situation as Captain
Hansie Cronje did not opt for sending in a nightwatchman. Adam
Bacher and Cullanin survived some dangerous moments because
Mushtaq Ahmad and Wasim Akram were bowling brilliantly bringing
in all their experience to use. When light deteriorated, Captain
Saeed Anwar replaced Wasim Akram with Ali Husain Rizvi but the
two umpires decided to halt the game soon afterwards.

Captain Hansie Cronje read the pitch correctly and his decision
to bat first on a traditionally docile track of the Sheikhupura
Stadium paid rich dividends as the South African pair of openers
plundered runs at will. When the South African openers took the
total to 108 in 32.2 overs after tea interval, the visiting side
had created a new first wicket record in Tests against Pakistan,
beating the earlier record of 107 set by both Gary Kirsten and
Adam Bacher in the first of the current three-Test series
against this country at Rawalpindi only a week before. Gary
Kirsten started off cautiously and successfully negotiated the
thunderbolts from Wasim Akram, who was firing all cylinder in
his first match after a lay-off of six months. In his first
spell, the world-class left-arm paceman sent down six overs and
conceded only five runs. Kirsten's partner Adam Bacher was also
cautious in the beginning, but he soon started to play his
shots. Till the tea interval, none of the five regular bowlers
of Pakistan could make a breakthrough and the South Africa side
reached 89 in 27 overs. At that stage, Adam Bacher was batting
at 56 and Gary Kirsten at 22.

First day's play of the Sheikhupura Test had been completely
washed out by rain. Although there was no more rain in
Sheikhupura on Saturday, the damp pitch dampened the spirit of
around three thousand lovers of cricket as they learnt that the
game cannot be started in time. The two umpires K.T. Francis
(Sri Lanka) and Muhammad Nazir Junior (Pakistan) made three
inspections of the pitch and the square. Some of its parts were
damp and the ground-staff did not agree to the assertion of the
match-referee Ranjan Madugalle (Sri Lanka) to start the game
early. First inspection was made before the scheduled start of
play at 10 am. The second one at 11 am and the third one at
11.30 am. Finally at 1 pm, the two umpires decided to start the
game at 1.30 pm. In all, 170 mi nutes were lost on the second
day. However, a total time of 540 minutes has already been lost
in this Test. During the remaining time of scheduled play, 63
overs were to be bowled but ten more overs had to be cut due to
bad light. As has been happening before in this stadium, as soon
as the sun went down, the light became poor in the ground. The
umpires after checking it at their light-meters, decided to halt
the game after 53 overs. The pitch is slow and even a genuine
fast bowler like Wasim Akram has to go flat out to generate
pace. Although, Wasim did not allow the two batsmen Gary Kirsten
and Adam Bacher take liberties with his bowling, yet he did not
look as venomous as he has proved to be on helpful tracts.
However, Wasim Akram almost had Adam Bacher on the third ball of
his third over when the young opener offered a catch to Muhammad
Waseem at silly mid-on the young fielder could not accept that.

Source::  Dawn (http://dawn.com/)

Day 2 Report - Electronic Telegraph

Pakistan play into S African hands

By Peter Deeley in Sheikhupura

SOUTH Africa, wracked by injury and illness, owe as much to
Pakistan's reluctance to get this second Test under way as they
do to Gary Kirsten and Adam Boucher's second successive century
partnership in this series.

With only 3.5 days left after so much time had been lost because
rain got on the pitch, the tourists, reduced to 12 fit players,
were hardly in a position to win this game.

Allan Donald and Dave Richardson were both out through injury
and then Jacques Kallis was admitted to hospital overnight with
appendicitis. Mark Boucher, having just flown in as the
wicketkeeping replacement for Richardson, made his Test debut.

Pakistan packed their side with three spinners - leg spinner Ali
Razvi being another debutant - and Wasim Akram, fit again,
replaced Waqar Younis, who has heel trouble.

But instead of grabbing maximum time to attack the weakened
South Africans after the first Test draw, Pakistan captain Saeed
Anwar showed no desire to get the match started until the damp
patches had thoroughly dried out.

It even took some diplomatic pressure from match referee Ranjan
Madugalle for the match finally to begin when nearly half the
second day had been spent waiting around in hot sunshine.

Without key strike bowlers Donald and Brett Schultz, who has
flown home with a damaged shoulder, the time lost played into
the South Africans' hands.

Hansie Cronje won the toss and the openers attacked the slow
bowlers with relish. They put on 135 before Kirsten, who had
given the only chance, dragged Wasim on to his stumps.

Brian McMillan once again showed his lack of aptitude for the
sub-continent when he slashed Mushtaq Ahmed into Moin Khan's
gloves. His batting average in seven Tests in this part of the
world is now under nine.

But when they had reached 154 for two, with Boucher unbeaten on
78, bad light further helped South Africa's principal aim of
drawing.

Source :: Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk)

Day 3 Report- Electronic Telegraph

Test Match: Bacher falls four short

By Peter Deeley in Sheikhupura

THE number 96 must have a dark meaning for Adam Bacher, South
Africa's opening batsman. Yesterday he was dismissed four runs
short of a maiden Test century - for the second time this year.

When he reached 96 here, he was beaten five times in an over by
Mushtaq Ahmed. Four balls of the leg-spinner's next were enough
to account for him, caught behind.

With Bacher's dismissal South Africa seemed destined for
trouble, but their later batsmen played with such gusto that by
the close of day three the tourists had taken the upper hand.

Eventually dismissed for 402 on a turning pitch, they had
Pakistan 53 for one by the close, still needing another 150 to
avoid having to bat again on a cracked and turning pitch.

It was a wicket where the occasional ball from one of Pakistan's
trio of slow bowlers was always going to spell trouble and South
African captain Hansie Cronje set a positive attitude with an
uncharacteristically aggressive half-century, in the course of
which he hit Mushtaq for three sixes.

Shaun Pollock, fast becoming a batsman of repute, and Lance
Klusener followed suit with a seventh-wicket stand of 96 in 73
minutes. Klusener hit 58 at quicker than a run-a-ball and
Pollock who was last out reached a Test-best 82.

Source :: Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk)

Day 3 Report


Rain-spoilt wicket makes Test resumption doubtful

SHEIKHUPURA, Oct 19: Pakistan scored 53 for one, needing 200
[Image][Image]more runs to avoid a follow on at close of play on
third day of the second cricket Test against South Africa at the
Sheikhupura Stadium on Sunday.

The two umpires stopped the day's play when 10 overs remained to
be bowled due to bad light. Although they came out in the middle
of the ground for a few minutes but the light did not improve
and the end for the day's play was announced. A few minutes
before close of play, Captain Saeed Anwar played on a delivery
from off-spinner Pat Symcox at the total of 53. Saeed Anwar
scored 17 with the help of two boundaries. He faced 37 balls and
stayed at the crease for 74 minutes. But the other opener Ali
Naqvi was more enterprising of the two. He hit seven boundaries
in his unbeaten knock of 30. Ali Naqvi along with nightwatchman
Saqlain Mushtaq (0) are scheduled to resume the Pakistan first
innings on Monday morning. But looked a remote possibility.

Sheikhupura was overcast with thick clouds in the afternoon and
at the time of filing this report it has started raining
heavily. The pitch and the square had been covered but the
ground is bound to be completely filled with water. It is next
to impossible to dry out the ground and make it playable. There
is every likelihood that the remaining two days' play will be
completely washed out due to heavy cloudburst.

The South African team scored a good total of 402 all out at tea
interval on Sunday thanks mainly to an enterprising knock of 96
by Adam Bacher, a responsible knock of 82 by Shaun Pollock and
three good half-centuries by Lance Kluesener (58), Captain
Hansie Cronje (50) and Gary Kirsten (56). All of them exploited
the slow batting track fully and never hesitated to go for their
strokes whenever they received loose deliveries.

South Africa hit up a good total of 402 all out in first innings
at tea interval thanks mainly to an excellent seventh wicket
partnership on 96 in 73 minutes between shaun Pollock and Lance
Kluesener. Once the two were separated at total of 348, end of
the visitors' innings did not look very far. The tea interval
was delayed to finish the innings.

The left-hander Kluesener missed a low and straight delivery
from all-rounder Azhar Mahmood after hitting an enterprising
knock of 58 in 73 minutes off 55 deliveries and umpire Muhammad
Nazir Junior raised his finger to declare him leg before wicket
without any hesitation. Kluesener hit a big six and nine
well-timed boundaries in his attractive knock. He never
hesitated to go for his strokes. However, his partner of the
seventh wicket stand, Shaun Pollock was more choosy in his
strokes and played the role of a sheet-anchor to bolster the
sagging South Africa innings. Shaun Pollock saw to it that the
south Africa side gets a good total. He was the last South
African batsman out at the total of 402. Shaun was unlucky not
to get a century which he richly deserved. With only the last
man Paul Adams at the crease with him, Shaun Pollock jumped out
of his crease to hoist young right-arm leg-spinner Ali husain
Rizvi out of the ground on third ball of the 116th over. But he
managed to hit the ball hard and high over long on and Ali Naqvi
ran to his left a few yards to effect a fine diving catch. with
that folded the south African innings. Shaun pollock hit a huge
six and six boundaries in his very sensible knock of 82. The
session between lunch and tea interval was dominated by the pair
of Shaun Pollock and Lance Kluesener.

If the post-lunch session belonged to the South African batsmen,
the morning session had been dominated by the experienced
Pakistani right-arm leg-spinner Mushtaq Ahmad. However, the
overnight batsman Adam Bacher scored a fine knock of 96 and was
unlucky to miss his century. The South African total was also
bolstered by a daring knock of exactly 50 by Captain Hansie
Cronje. Both fell to Mushtaq Ahmad. The spinner finished with
four wickets for 122 in his 38 overs out of which 12 were
maiden.

Saqlain Mushtaq made the first breakthrough in the morning.
Playing a defensive shot off Saqlain's off-break, Cullanin
failed to keep the ball down and Muhammad Waseem held a good
catch at silly mid-on. The third South African wicket fell at
the total of 155. Adam Bacher's excellent knock came to an end
at the total of 175. Adam Bacher played a defensive shot on his
backfoot, snicked the ball and wicketkeeper Moin Khan snapped up
a good catch. Adam scored 96 runs with the help of a big six and
12 exquisitely-timed boundaries. He stayed at the pitch of 236
minutes and negotiated 141 balls. It was a daring knock by the
young opened. Jonty Rhodes added only 11 runs before being
bowled round his let by a leg-break from Mushtaq Ahmad. The
fifth South African wicket fell at the total of 215 and the
visiting team was struggling. Captain Hansie Cronje hit some
blistering shots in his stay of 96 minutes. He hit three sixes
and as many boundaries before being the sixth victim of Mushtaq
Ahmad. Trying a big hit off a delivery of the diminutive
spinner, he skied the ball. Two fielders ran towards it but
finally substitute Waqar Younis held a simple catch. The sixth
South African wicket fell at the total of 252. At the luncheon
interval, South African team scored 285 for 6 in 84 overs. At
that time, Shaun Pollock was batting at 30 and Lance Kluesener
at 17. Soon after the luncheon interval, the South African pair
of Shaun and Lance started dominating the proceedings.

Young wicketkeeper/batsman Mark Bouchert had an inauspicious
Test debut as he fell after scoring only six runs. Azhar Mahmood
sent down a quick delivery but Mark's bat came late on that. He
looked back to see his middle-stump uprooted by Azhar Mahmood.
Pat Symcox could resist the Pakistani bowlers for 48 minutes in
which he faced 35 balls and hit 17 runs. He hit two forceful
shots to the fence. Pat symcox was the ninth batsman out at the
total of 397. He edged Ali Husain Rizvi's leg-break into the
hands of wicketkeeper Moin Khan. But the ball spilled out of his
right hand and the first slip fielder Muhammad Waseem snapped up
the ball. The disappointed Pat Symcox looked back and walked out
of the ground. With the dismissal of resistant Shaun Pollock,
the South African innings ended and the umpires stopped the game
for the tea interval which had been delayed for its completion.

Mushtaq Ahmad emerged as the most successful Pakistani bowler.
He took four wickets for 122 runs. Azhar Mahmood and Ali Husain
Rizvi captured two wickets, each, conceding 52 and 72 runs,
respectively Wasim Akram bowled only two more overs on Sunday.
He and Saqlain Mushtaq claimed one wicket each, giving away 26
and 120 runs, respectively.

Source::  Dawn (http://dawn.com/)

Day 4/5 report

Heavy rains force cancellation of fourth day's play

By Ilyas Beg

SHEIKHUPURA, Oct 20: Heavy rains, which lashed the plains of
Punjab on Sunday around 5 pm and continued intermittently till
miday on Monday, resulted in the cancellation of fourth day's
play of second cricket Test between Pakistan and South Africa at
the Sheikhupura Stadium without a ball being bowled!

The ground has been completely submerged under water and two
umpires Muhammad Nazir Junior (Pakistan) and K. T. Francis (Sri
Lanka) after assessing the situation in the stadium on Monday
morning did not even feel the necessity of removing the covers
to see the condition of the pitch and square before calling off
the day's play.

Surprisingly, the cloud-cover thinned out over skies of
Sheikhupura and finally cleared around 1:45 pm. Sun came out
immediately after that and continued to play "hide and seek"
with the clouds. Both the teams left the stadium at 11:30 am for
the hotel in Lahore where they have been staying throughout the
second Test and going to Sheikhupura every morning by road. Most
of organisers and diehard followers of the game also left venue
of the Test in disgust and soon it was giving a haunted look.

Apprehensions are that even if there was no more rain in the
city and ground-staff redoubled efforts to dry out the venue, it
will be extremely difficult to resume the game in time on the
fifth morning of the rain-ruined Test, which is doomed to end in
a draw. If play for some time was made possible on Tuesday that
would be of no consequence because even the first innings of the
Test was yet to be completed. No doubt, rains in these months in
this part of the world are a rare phenomenon. But venues of
important games like Tests and one-day international matches
must be fully equipped for every type of eventuality. No wonder
then, if the visiting side is very bitter about loss of so much
time due to rain. No one can fight with vagaries of nature but
the modern technology can surely be used to keep water away from
a pitch and square.

The covers were not of a good standard which caused seepage of
water on to the pitch and the square. Moreover, the mopping up
facilities were also sadly inadequate. Surely, if all necessary
facilities had been available, despite the heavy rains, loss of
two-and-a-half day's play out of the four days could have been
avoided.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), which organised the Test in
collaboration with the Sheikhupura officials have incurred heavy
losses.

It has been learnt that tickets of the denomination of a little
over one lakh rupees only could be sold. The lovers of the game
have also been deprived of anideal opportunity to watch two
world-class teams in action and fighting to win the important
Test of the series.

Source::  Dawn (http://dawn.com/)

Day 5 report- Dawn

Test called off due to unplayable conditions

By Ilyas Beg

SHEIKHUPURA, Oct.21: the second cricket Test between Pakistan
and South Africa was finally called off on Tuesday at 10 a.m.
because of the unplayable condition of the pitch, the square and
the ground.

Although there was no more rain and there was bright sun shine
yet the ground could be dried out and made worth playing. The
two umpires Muhammad Nazir Junior (Pakistan) and K.T. Francis
(Sri Lanka) inspected the pitch and the ground at 10 a.m. before
finally cancelling the last day's play, and with that decision
ended this rain-ruined Test.

# "As you are watching, the whole outfield is filled with water.
You can also see the pitch which is completely soaked in water
and there is no possibility of its being mopped up. The ground
near the boundary-lines has turned muddy. There is no proper
arrangement to drain out water, cover the pitch properly or dry
out the ground. We have no choice but to call off the game,"
said the debutant Test umpire and a class Test off-spinner of
yesteryear, Muhammad Nazir Junior.

# The Sheikhupura Test has been a big disappointment for the two
teams, cricket-lovers and all interested in watching the game
between two excellent sides of present-day cricket. The
stroke-players have the capability to enthral the cricket-crazy
public, brilliant South African fielders can also be a spectacle
to watch while the world-class bowlers of both the sides could
also exhibit their God-gifted capabilities. But no one can fight
the vagaries of nature. however, the painful fact is that
despite gaining Test status, no effort has been made to have
adequate arrangements for acquiring standard covers and
equipment so necessary for matches of this class.

Three-and-a-half days' play out of the total five days of the
second Test has been lost due to poor arrangements. Rain does
hit many venues of cricket around the world but with adequate
equipment like blowers, helicopters and safety measures of
properly covering the pitches and squares, much of playing-time
is saved. Alas! that could not be done here!

# A simple ceremony to award prizes and gifts to players of both
the teams and organisers was held at the Sheikhupura Stadium at
10-45 a.m. Deputy Commissioner Waheedullah Goraya gave away the
prizes.

# During the one-and-a-half day's play not even the first
innings of Pakistan was completed while South Africa scored 402
all out.

The brief scores were: South Africa first innings: 402 all out
in 115.3 overs (Adam Bacher 96, Shaun Pollock 82, Lance
Kluesener 58, Gary Kirsten 56, Hansie Cronje 50, Mushtaq Ahmad
4/122). Pakistan first innings: 53 for one (Ali Naqvi 30 not
out).


Source::  Dawn (http://dawn.com/)

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