A TOTAL of 201 is a neither here nor there target. I think if Pakistan had been required to make something in the vicinity of 240, it would have done so with comparative ease.

It would have batted sensibly and there would have been none of the indecisiveness, the itchiness that saw Pakistan's first three batsmen gift their wickets because they couldn't resist the temptation to be expansive and what should have been a cake-walk became a desperate rear-guard action and it was Shahid Afridi's little cameo where he clouted Irfan Pathan for two successive sixes that finally broke the shackles and Pakistan went past the post in the last over.

Not for the first time had the Pakistan bowlers set up a Pakistan victory and not for the first time had the Pakistan batsmen made such heavy weather of a relatively simple task.

Inzamamul Haq and Yousuf Youhana had restored a sense of law and order and with the sun beginning to shine, this was a partnership that was rich in promise. They were able to demonstrate how valuable experience is in sticky situations.

Inzamam was obviously delighted to have reached the milestone of 10,000 runs in one-day cricket but perhaps he was savouring the moment which caused him to play the one careless shot that cost him his wicket and Pakistan was back in the hole. It was now left to Youhana to pilot the ship through turbulence and what a good job he did.

Youhana is a dangerous batsman on two counts. He can play a match-winning innings or he can run his partner/partners out. He chose the former role though there was some near-suicidal running. He stayed till the end to the raucous delight of hundreds of Pakistanis who had come to Edgbaston to see their team play.

Pakistan now play the West Indies in the semifinal and although their recent record would not suggest it, on song the West Indies can be devastating and a team that has Brian Lara can never be taken lightly.

It must also be noted that in South Africa's total of 246, the West Indies bowlers did not bowl a single no-ball and only two wides. The morale of both the teams will be high and it should be a cracker of a match.

I would like to congratulate Inzamam on getting to 10,000 runs. It is a monumental feat and only Sachin Tendulkar has scored more runs. I was present at Auckland in 1992 when he had walked to the wicket with the Pakistan innings in tatters in that World Cup semifinal and then he had walked back having set up an improbable Pakistan win.

A champion had been born that afternoon and Inzamam has remained a champion. We have had our Hanifs and Miandads, great players. Inzamam belongs in the category with the added advantage that more often than not, he has played match-winning innings. Inzamam smiles a lot more now than he used to and he is more articulate and the captaincy rest easily on his burly shoulders.

Two weeks ago I had written a column about the letter that Malcolm Speed the CEO of ICC had written to Wasim Bari. Mr Ehsan Mani, the chairman of ICC had telephoned me and we had had a long conversation.

I had made two points in that column. The first was about a confidential letter being leaked to the media and the second was that by Speed's own admission, Wasim Bari had not breached any code of conduct and had no case to answer.

Mr Mani told me that the ICC would write a letter to Bari. The ICC letter to Bari just falls short of an apology. But through the round and round of verbosity, there is the admission that Speed's letter was leaked by ICC and in hindsight should not have been.

On the second, the letter makes it perfectly clear that no action was contemplated against Bari, a tacit acknowledgement that he had done nothing wrong. This should close the chapter. Not just this letter but also the tremendous support received by Bari from Pakistan's cricket fans fully vindicates him.

And one must be thankful to Mr Mani who took so much personal interest in the matter. I am not aware whether the PCB played any role behind the scenes but the ICC letter written by a manager in the Corporate Affairs Division was copied to Ehsan Mani and Speed but not to the PCB, A protocol lapse by the ICC?

Anyhow let us hope that the ICC Champions Trophy is completed without any serious intervention by the weather and for the future that the tournament will be held in a country and at a time of year where the weather is not so inclement and adds an extra lottery element to a flawed tournament format.

Having said that, the best four teams are in the semifinals. Pakistan has a great chance of making it all the way to the finals and who knows winning it? It will be a great start to the Inzamam-Bob Woolmer partnership.

It seems to be already working and the team is looking far more relaxed though there are still areas that need tightening up. But we seem to be headed in the right direction. And a win against India is just the right tonic.