RICKY Ponting made history by becoming the first and only captain to hold aloft the ICC Champions Trophy twice as Australia successfully defended their crown when the competition was staged in South Africa from Sept 22 to Oct 5 in 2009 — a year behind schedule after it was moved from Pakistan.

The International Cricket Council (ICC), taking notice of several countries expressing —particularly Australia, England and New Zealand — major trepidations over security in violence-hit Pakistan, were initially forced to put off the tournament that was originally planned to be played from Sept 12 to 28, 2008.

By the time, this Champions Trophy took place, India (2007) and Pakistan (2009 in England) had won the first two editions of the ICC World Twenty20.

The relationship between Pakistan and the ICC was far from ideal whenever the thorny issue of security came up for discussion until it was officially announced at an ICC board meeting in January 2009 that South Africa would host the tournament.

After losing the right of hosting the Champions Trophy, Pakistan’s sufferings were to be further multiplied following the deadly terror attack on the Sri Lankan team on the third morning of the second and final Test at Lahore on March 3, 2009.

Consequently, the 2011 World Cup matches slated to be held in Pakistan were allotted to co-hosts India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh and the mega event’s secretariat was shifted from Lahore to Mumbai.

However, it goes to Pakistan’s great credit that in spite of countless reversals they were forced to live with, they invariably emerged as a determined team. Younis Khan, the captain of the triumphant World Twenty20 squad which beat Sri Lanka in the final at Lord’s on June 21, guided his outfit to the semi-finals of this Champions Trophy.

Unlike the previous edition, hosted by India in 2006, the number of matches was curtailed by six and the event was confined to only eight top-ranked teams. Pakistan, India, reigning champions Australia and a second-string West Indies side were placed in Group ‘A’, while England, New Zealand and Sri Lanka were bracketed in Group ‘B’ alongside hosts South Africa.

The first-choice players had made themselves unavailable for the West Indies in a pay dispute between the players’ representative and the region’s cricket board.

The level of cricket was exhilarating in some of the 15 matches played at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg and the nearby SuperSport Park in Centurion.

But none of those games caught the imagination more when Pakistan avenged their defeat in the 2003 World Cup against India in Centurion when the two teams confronted each other for the first time after their Asia Cup clash in Karachi in July 2008.

Younis, handicapped by a finger injury, missed Pakistan’s opening fixture against the Floyd Reifer-led West Indies and paved the way for Shahid Afridi’s first game as the national captain. Despite the depleted state of the opposition, Pakistan had to work hard to win a low-scoring match at the Wanderers.

Mohammad Aamir (remember him?) and Umar Gul ripped through the West Indian batting with three wickets apiece before tail-ender Nikita Miller’s 51 gave the total some respectability. Pakistan’s response to the chase was shaky as well with the top five batsmen back in the hut for 76, before Umar Akmal and Afridi added 58 without further loss to see them through.

Three days later, Younis was fit to lead his team when Pakistan took on India at the SuperSport Park in arguably the match of the tournament. Younis’ winning the toss was crucial because batting under lights can be generally hazardous in South African conditions.

Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Yousuf put up a vintage batting show as the two of them added a record 206 for the fourth wicket in 188 deliveries to help their side get an impressive 302-9 after the innings’ opening 31 overs had yielded only 139 runs.

Malik was in regal touch as he registered his fourth ODI ton against the Indians, while striking 16 boundaries in a breathtaking 126-ball 128. Yousuf personified his class by making an 88-ball 87 that included seven fours.

India’s hopes of making a game of it receded early when Sachin Tendulkar fell cheaply to Aamir. Only Rahul Dravid (76), Gautam Gambhir (57) and Suresh Raina (46) managed to put up a fight before their side folded up for 248 to leave Pakistan winners by 54 runs.India’s next fixture against Australia at the same venue was declared ‘no result’ after rain arrived to halt Australia’s innings at 234-4 in 42.3 overs and with no reserve day in place, the teams shared the points.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s men headed home early after a facile seven-wicket defeat of the West Indies in Johannesburg while Australia and Pakistan qualified for the semi-finals.

Australia, who had earlier chalked up a 50-run win over the West Indies in Johannesburg, clinched a last-ball victory against Pakistan in Centurion. After restricting Pakistan to 205-6, the champions found Saeed Ajmal (2-31 in 10 overs) hard to get away and had to rely on tail-enders Brett Lee and Nathan Hauritz to guide them home with just two wickets left.

Ponting was so nervous that he admitted afterwards chewing his nails in the closing moments.New Zealand and England moved into the semi-finals from the other pool. New Zealand defeated Sri Lanka and England but lost to South Africa. England booked their place with wins over Sri Lanka and the Proteas.

The host nation lost a truncated game against Sri Lanka by 55 runs in Centurion when the target was revised to 262 in 37.4 overs after Tillakaratne Dilshan’s blistering 106 off 92 deliveries had powered his side to 319-8.

The semi-finals provided contrasting results. Australia bulldozed England with clinical ease after Andre Strauss’ men had had been dismissed for 257 in Centurion.

Shane Watson (134 off 132 balls, seven sixes and 10 fours) and Ponting (111 off 115, 12 boundaries and one six) shared the highest partnership in the Champions Trophy as they added 252 for the unbroken second-wicket stand after Tim Paine had perished in the second over. Australia won with 49 balls to spare.

New Zealand, blighted by injuries, sneaked past Pakistan in the other semi-final in Johannesburg by five wickets with 13 balls left. Pakistan mustered 233-9 despite a fifth-wicket stand of 80 between Yousuf (45) and Umar Akmal (55), while paceman Ian Butler took 4-44 and captain Daniel Vettori kept a tight leash with three for 43 from his 10-over stint.

And when Ross Taylor was bowled by Afridi for 38, the game was delicately poised with the Black Caps on 126-4 in the 30th over. Pakistan clawed back to take control but Younis committed the culpable error of dropping the easiest of catches offered by Grant Elliott, who was on 42, off Aamir with New Zealand still needing 69 from 64 balls.

It was the moment that ultimately cost Pakistan dear as Elliott, who finished unbeaten 75 off 103 balls, and Vettori (41 off 42 balls) sealed the game with their 104-run partnership.

Watson bagged his second Man-of-the-Match award in a Champions Trophy final as he did in the 2006 event as Australia cruised to a deserved six-wicket victory after New Zealand were curtailed to 200-9 in Johannesburg.

Watson’s second consecutive hundred in this tournament saw the all-rounder smash 10 fours and four sixes in an undefeated 105 from 129 balls. Cameron White (62) provided excellent support in the third-wicket partnership that yielded 128 runs, and despite a heroic spell of seam bowling from Kyle Mills (3-27 in 10 overs), Australia were left celebrating another title.

This is the last of a six-part series in which Dawn looks back at the past happenings in the ICC Champions Trophy, an event which is aptly described as the ‘mini’ World Cup.