October 18, 2003	Saturday	Sha'aban 21, 1424

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LAHORE, Oct 17: Shoaib Malik was Pakistan’s unlikely star when he returned his best Test figures to help Pakistan restrict South Africa to 320 all out on an eventful opening day of the first Test marred by several controversial decisions by umpires and Gary Kirsten’s broken nose by a Shoaib Akhtar bouncer on Friday at Gaddafi Stadium.

Malik, included in the side more as a batsman than a bowler, grabbed four wickets for 42 and also saw Kirsten dropped off his bowling after Graeme Smith won the toss and decided to bat first under perfect batting conditions.

Play was abandoned for the day by the umpires, after South African innings closed with Kirsten unable to bat, due to bad light although there were still five overs to be bowled.

The two umpires, Australian Darrell Hair and England’s Neil Mallender, made mockery of elite ICC panel as they were involved in at least six debatable decisions.

Jacques Kallis was twice adjuged not out when TV replays clearly showed he was out while top scorer Mark Boucher too benefited early in his innings when he was caught at silly point off luckless Mushtaq Ahmad.

Justice was however done in Kallis’ case when he was given caught behind when TV replays showed he did not nick a Danish Kaneira leg spinner.

But the worst sufferer was Boeta Dippenaar. He was declared caught at leg slip by Imran Farhat to become Malik’s first victim after the ball brushed his pad. Earlier there was also some doubt about Neil McKenzie’s first-ball dismissal. Shoaib Akhtar’s lbw appeal was upheld by Hair.

South Africa owe their respectable total to Boucher who made 72 with 11 powerfully struck fours in a two-hour stay and a gutsy 53 with eight boundaries by Kirsten until the latter was felled by a bouncer attempting to hook Shoaib and could not bat again.

The veteran batsman was rushed to hospital and needed ten stitches and suffered two fractures on his nose and below the eye. He is likely to bat in the second innings.

Until Kirsten’s injury the South Africans had raced to 145 for the loss of Smith (33) and Herschelle Gibbs (27) at the end of the extended first session due to Friday prayers.

Yousuf Youhana, standing in as captain for injured Inzamam-ul Haq, was at times unimaginative with his field placings and under bowled Shoaib Akhtar his prime bowler who was also given warning for bowling a beamer to Boucher.

Pakistan fielders also did not help the team’s cause as they dropped Kirsten when he was on four by Taufiq Umar and the left-hander benefited again when, on 45, Yasir Hameed floored a catch in the slips off Shoaib Malik.

Kaneria who bowled unchanged for 21 overs and struggled in the field and Shoaib Akhtar finished with two wickets each but Mushtaq Ahmad, who was playing his first Test since March 2001, went wicketless.

As expected Pakistan included three spinners and awarded a Test cap to 27-year-old Karachi batsman Asim Kamal while South Africa brought in left arm spinner Paul Adams.

Kamal became the 180th player to represent Pakistan in Test cricket.