After an absorbing and a gruelling win in a Test series at home against Australia and three victories in the Triangular one-day games against South Africa at home they had arrived in South Africa with their confidence beaming. There was every indication that Pakistan will carry on from where they had left off at home. To a certain extent they did when they won five of their six qualifying matches in the four nation Mandela Trophy but then they declined in discipline and in their overall make-up.
In the two side games against Natal and Western Province they were beaten, lost both the finals of the Mandela Trophy in dubious circumstances and then were crushed to submission in the first ever Test against South Africa by a massive margin of 324 runs. Waqar Younus and Rashid Latif had pulled out from the team minutes before the Test complaining injuries and then hell broke out as Pakistan faced another humiliating defeat against Zimbabwe by an innings within four days at Harare. The captain Salim Malik was accused of bribery and fixing the matches by the Australians Tim May, Shane Warne and Mark Waugh. An allegation which remain unsubstantiated to this day.
Coming back to the first ever Test against South Africa. It was humiliating to say the least. It was the biggest home victory by South Africa in a Test. The most farcical aspect of the match was the inclusion of Aamir Nazir, a medium-pacer who was still on a flight to Johannesburg to replace Waqar Younis and yet was included in the eleven. He landed an hour before the Test and took the field 35 minutes late as a substitute was taken into the field after South Africa had won the toss and decided to bat.
Aamir Nazir broke down with a cramp in the seventh over and returned after tea to have Jonty Rhodes taken at slip to end a 157 runs stand, he bowled Dave Richardson next ball and broke down again to return the next day.
In the first 75 minutes South Africa had lost three men but Gary Kirsten and the captain, Hanse Cronje steadied the innings as they made 62 and 41 before Rhodes and Brian McMillan put on South Africa's biggest stand after their return to international cricket when they added 157 for the sixth wicket. Rhodes 72 and McMillan hit a maiden century (113) in the Test. He hit 15 fours and was out next day and later Fannie de Villiers made an unbeaten 66, his first fifty to add 71 with Alan Donald in 35 minutes. He later demolished Pakistan's batting as the tourists slumped to 177 for 6 at stumps.
Pakistan were all out on the third day for 230 with Salim Malik making 99 before being spectacularly caught by Eksteen off Donald having hit 16 fours. Cronje did not enforce the follow on and decided to extend the lead further. At stumps on the third day South Africa led by 391 and added another 98 on the fourth before declaring 259 for seven in their second innings of which Kirsten had made 42, Darryl Cullinan 69 and Cronje 48. Pakistan were left with the indomitable 490 in five sessions to achieve the impossible.
At stumps on the fourth day the outcome was obvious with Pakistan losing seven wickets for 149. Pakistan were all out on the final day for 165 adding 16 runs to their overnight score. Asif Mujtaba battled for 26 and Inzamam-ul-Haq was out at 95 off De Villiers who picked up four more wickets to add to his six in the first innings and become the first South African to take ten wickets in a Test and score a fifty as well.
Intikhab Alam, the manager described the Pakistan performance as ``unprofessional and the captain Salim Malik denied any suggestions that the team is split or there was a rift amongst them.'' All rumours'', he said.
A lot has changed since, the captain, the team, The Management and the cricket board as well and Pakistan plays its first three match series against South Africa. The eyes of the world will be focused on them. It is a pity though that Wasim Akram and Mushtaq Ahmed are injured. With them in the side this could have been an even contest.