September 30, 2003	Tuesday	Sha’aban 3, 1424

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KARACHI, Sept 29: This is a tour that should have started last week in earnest, but owing to security fears the South Africans chose to cancel their original programme of three Tests and as many One-day Internationals in a series long-awaited by millions in Pakistan.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) then launched a campaign and succeeded in enticing South Africa to play in this country at the cost of denying the cricket-starved public of Karachi and Peshawar watching the likes of Graeme Smith, Herschelle Gibbs, Gary Kirsten, Jacques Kallis and Shaun Pollock in action.

Pakistan, rather the Punjab province, now stand to benefit from some quality cricket once the Proteas land in Lahore on Tuesday on a revised schedule of five ODIs and two Tests.

Pakistan, besides convincing South Africa to tour, also had their usual share of drama with Rashid Latif quitting as captain. The baton is now taken up by Inzamam-ul-Haq, who is going into the series with a load to think about.

The Bangladesh series was used by the PCB hierarchy to experiment at will in the name of rebuilding, and, in the process, allowing the likes of Junaid Zia and Yasir Ali get a taste of international cricket.

These questionable selections almost cost Pakistan dearly in the Multan Test and the fourth ODI at Rawalpindi.

There is no doubt the series against South Africa, the first real test of Pakistan team’s character after the horrendous World Cup seven months ago, will prove a great success for the PCB financially.