Akram, an insulin-dependant diabetic, had been suffering from a fever which sent his blood sugar level plunging, Pakistan team manager Dr Zafar Altaf explained at a post-match press conference which Akram skipped because he was feeling too ill.

Akram rapped Shoaib Akhtar over the knuckles for his part in their defeat. He told The Sunday Telegraph that Shoaib had not bowled ``according to the plan''.

``At the death, the best policy is to bowl full and try to deliver yorkers as often as possible,'' Akram was quoted as saying. ``He bowled a little short and the one over in which he gave 17 runs cost us the match.''

South Africa's Lance Klusener provided that last evening when with his ``Big Bertha'' (a bat weighing 3 lbs 4 ounces) he clubbed Pakistan into surrender. Klusener hit three supersixes of Pakistan's three best bowlers to defy a run-rate in excess of eight an over.

There are few in this World Cup who can bat like this at the finish. If Pakistan's Moin Khan, himself a renowed striker of the ball in a clever way of exploiting geometrical angles, set up a match with his rapidfire knock, `Zulu' was the one who dictated what the finish would be like with his ability to club the ball right out of the ground.

In his physical condition, Wasim Akram may not have been thinking too positively either. He was not his usual aggressive self on the field, not the inspirational figure who would constantly be tapping people on their shoulder and geeing them up.

It was a relatively quiet day for Akram. In his struggle against insulin levels made worse by suffering from fever, Akram may have committed the one grave tactical error that may have helped South Africa come through in spectacular style at the end.

The match was on the boil midway through the afternoon. Five South African wickets weredown by the 36th over. A thick cloud cover was very much in place and the threat of rain was always there. The conditions seemed perfect for Akram to go on the offensive. He had to come on himself and bring Shoaib Akhtar on for a second spell.

The key to winning games with an inadequate looking total is to grab wickets. Containment is never the answer. And Akram, who had done so well upto a point, allowed Shaun Pollock some freedom by trying to get through his fourth and fifth bowlers -- Azhar Mahmood and Abdul Razzaq. In terms of economy, Razzaq got through with none for 41 runs from 10 overs. But he may have enabled Pollock to settle down.

The stand of 77 between Kallis and Pollock revived an innings that did not have the terminal blows to dealt on it with Pakistan's best bowlers coming on. Sometimes, mistiming the ball awkwardly, Pollock hung on until the target shrank to 86 runs. And when you give Klusener a sprint to the finish, there is no one better equipped to handle the challenge, none quicker inrun making at the death.

Klusener has now scored 399 runs without being dismissed. Statisticians were able to write this record in their books because Klusener was dropped when going for the winning run. He has also made 210 runs without ever being out in this World Cup. Four man of match awards are a pointer to who has emerged as the real star of this tournament.

Since he also speaks English, Zulu and Afrikaans, Klusener is the true all-rounder. He may be edging Wasim Akram out of the title, also Jacques Kallis, who is bowling quicker than Shaun Pollock according to the speed gun that is in place now. What a comforting feeling for a captain to have a batsman like him at number eight or nine.

The South Africans have revived themselves after the win and are now clear favourites for the Cup, edging out Pakistan on whom the honour had been placed for a while after South Africa's defeat to Zimbabwe in the preliminary league.

At 40 to one now for the Cup, India are the least fancied, while the price onZimbabwe shortened to 20 to one. The price on New Zealand has shortened to 10 to one. Australia are third favourites at three to one.