Kirsten's absence will hit South Africa hard, McKenzie may open the innings
VIKRANT GUPTA

SHARJAH, MARCH 30: For a while, Indian beauty queens Bipasha Basu, Lara Dutta, Shweta Menon, Helen Brodie and Nina Manuel put cricket in the shade. As they sashayed down the ramp, lending colour to the already glittering bash thrown by CBFS president Abdur Rehman Bukhatir at Dubai Wednesday night, players from the three participating sides -- India, Pakistan and South Africa -- were reduced to spectators.

One man, sitting by the table in the middle rows with arms around twoteam-mates, was savouring a welcome change -- when flashbulbs looked elsewhere. And then the announcement, ``We thank you all,'' and down came the curtain on the fashion show.

It was difficult to believe the speed with which the flashbulbs converged on the table in question, accompanied by umpteen queries. The main being, ``Shoaib, do you think you will be fit for Friday's final against South Africa³?'' Shoaib Akhtar smiled and look heavenwards: ``òf40óInshaallah (God willing).''

The whole of the Emirates heaved a sigh of relief. Pakistani supporters had spent a few tense nights, speculating on whether Shoaib's groin injury would heal in time for him to send down another thunderous spell on the big night.

When told of Shoaib's commitment to turn out for his team in the Coca Cola Cup tri-series day-night final at the Sharjah Stadium on Friday by media persons he ferried, a cab driver offered to take them back from the dinner-cum-fashion show for free. The glee on his face said it all: ``If Shoaib plays, nobody can beat Pakistan.''

Just the other day, Pakistan were down in the dumps. Nothing was going right -- batting, bowling or fielding. The growing injury list added to their woes and not too many were willing to putting their money on Pakistan winning the cup.

But, non-believers had reckoned without the players themselves. The Pakistanis willed themselves back into the event, refusing to let the odds get to them.

And less than a week later, they have given their mass-support base here plenty to be euphoric about. It's the story of one player lifting the level of his team-mates' game, of how his mind has defied his own body and how much Shoaib means to Pakistan cricket now.

Shoaib is an inspiration even to senior pace-tyros like Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis, who put more into their game when they see the youngster bowl with passion, a combination that is never good news for rival batsmen. Ask the Indians, or even the South Africans, who were hit by the Rawalpindi Express the other night. They have come to dread the sight of the fast bowler running in to bowl at them.

Pakistani players say Shoaib, being a typical small town middle-class boy, with his childhood dream of making it big one day, has a lot to do with his theatrical involvement on the field. He has a lot in common with Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne who is in news not only for all that he does, but also for what he does not. Similarly, Shoaib loves playing to the galleries and derives inspiration from the crowd support.

Even though South Africa are not the focus of attention, it does not mean they are pushovers. The fact that they lost one game in the entire tournament, that too when five of their senior players decided to take a well-deserved break, is a pointer to their performance here. Barring that one game, it has been pretty ruthless.

``Yes, Shoaib bowled well, but how many of our established batsmen were playing that day³?'' South African skipper Hansie Cronje said. The biggest worry for the Proteas will be the injury to their reliable opener Gary Kirsten, whose back spasms have not only ruled him out of the final but probably from the forthcoming one-dayers against Australia at home.

Kirsten's batting is well suited to the slow surfaces here and he had forged an excellent rapport with fellow opener Herschelle Gibbs. The South Africans will be hit hard by his absence and his role at the top is likely to be taken by youngster Neil McKenzie.

Teams

Pakistan: Moin Khan (captain), Inzamam-ul-Haq, Shahid Afridi, Mohammed Naveed, Imran Nazir, Wajhatullah Wasti, Younis Khan, Yousuf Youhana, Wasim Akram, Shoaib Akhtar, Waqar Younis, Mohammad Akram, Abdur Razzaq, Arshad Khan, Shoaib Malik.

South Africa: Hansie Cronje (captain), Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Kallis, Lance Klusener, Nicky Boje, Mark Boucher, Neil McKenzie, Shaun Pollock, Pieter Strydom, Dale Benkentstein, Steve Elworthy, Derek Crookes, Mornantau Hayward, Makhaya Ntini and Carl Welloughby.

Umpires: Peter Manuel (Sri Lanka) and Daryl Harper (Australia)

Third umpire: John Hampshire (England)

Match Referee: Raman Subba Rao (England)

Hours of play (IST): 4.30pm to 8 and 8.45 to 00.15 am

Copyright © 2000 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.