South Africa versus Pakistan- players to watch out for in the fifth ODI (part2)
Johan Botha
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Johan-Botha-c67173 has been instrumental for South Africa in the ongoing series, so far. Botha is best spin bowler in his team. His measured off-spin bowling has earned him rewards throughout the series. In addition, he is a utility cricketer.
He can bowl a really good doosra to back his vicious off-spinner. His lower order batting has been an integral part of his game and as a result, Proteas have claimed substantial totals in the later part of their innings.
Moreover, Botha has been gifted the captaincy in the shortest version of the game and he claims vice captaincy in One day internationals. Adding to it, the off break bowler has been the in-charge of the South African pack in the absence of Graeme Smith in
two games.
In the last game, Botha showed signs of his all-round ability. To everyone’s surprise, he mustered 28 runs of just 16 balls, cracking up 6 crisp boundaries. The smasher, in the death overs, improvised with a string of gritty boundaries, including two innovative
reverse sweeps off Mohammad Hafeez and a succession of scoops to the fine-leg boundary against Wahab.
Furthermore, the track at Dubai has offered great assistance to the spin bowlers to display their abilities with the fingers and wrists. Botha has gained complete advantage of the turning tracks. In the last match he bowled ten economical overs, scalping
the key wicket of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Shahid-c89347 Afirdi, when he was looking to take the game away from the visitors.
Mohammad Hafeez
Mohammad Hafeez has improved his game to a certain extent, since he has earned his place back through sheer hardwork and determination. Hafeez with his all-round abilities is becoming an integral part of Pakistan’s plan ahead of the 2011 world cup in subcontinent.
In the series he has become the heartthrob of the unit. He brings a number of things to his team, when he is playing. As an opener, he is well capable of providing his team with electrifying starts. In the field, Hafeez has the ability to save 15 runs.
As a bowler, his off break bowling has come of age as he can chip in with a wicket or two. He can fill up the role of the sixth bowler. To add to his ability, the promising all-rounder can bowl early on in the innings and can deliver cheap overs in the dying
moments of the game.
In the last game, Hafeez was unlucky, not to be given a man-of-the-match award as he racked up 42 runs of just 29 balls, including five pleasing boundaries. As expected, his gritty off- spinners earned him two crucial wickets.
Younis Khan
Younis Khan has shown a lot of guts and determination, since he has come-back to national side. The Pathan from the dry mountains of Mardan has proved himself again as he racked up a half century on return to the national squad.
In the ongoing series, Younis has played really well. In the 4 matches, he has mustered 145 runs at an average of 36.55, including two defiant half centuries. To add to his bad-luck, in the first two games, he was gifted with rough decisions, twice.
In the last affair, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Khan-c71319 as he scored a duck in the previous match. At first, he associated himself with Hafeez in a brisk partnership of 58
runs of just 54 balls.
In his measure knock of 73 runs he only cracked a single boundary as he laid the foundation for the late order hitter Razzak and Afridi. As a result, Pakistan defeated South Africa by one wicket and his performance earned him the MOM award.
Against all the odds, if Pakistan wants to beat http://www.senore.com/Cricket/South-Africa-c757 to win the series, then Younis has to play important role with the willow.
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