Rising

Shoaib Akhtar capped his return to international cricket with an impressive 4-43 to help Pakistan restrict South Africa to 233-9 in the fifth and final one-day match on Monday.

The 32-year-old paceman, playing his first one-dayer in 13 months, was ably supported by fellow paceman Rao Iftikhar (3-45) after South Africa won the toss and elected to bat on an easy-paced pitch at the Gaddafi Stadium.

Jacques Kallis topscored with 86, with Herschelle Gibbs (54) and Jean-Paul Duminy (44) also chipping in with useful contributions on a day when Akhtar's return was the highlight.

Akhtar missed the preceding two Tests and first four one-dayers as part of a 13-match ban for disciplinary lapses, including hitting teammate Mohammad Asif with a bat ahead of the Twenty20 world championship last month.

He bowled South African captain Graeme Smith with the third legitimate delivery of the innings for nought and could have had Kallis for two had wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal not dropped a simple catch.

Kallis, who managed just 27 runs in the first four matches, let the home team pay for the lapse as he hit four boundaries and a six during his 130-ball knock.

Kallis and Gibbs repaired the innings through a second-wicket stand of 80. Gibbs hit ten boundaries before he was bowled by Iftikhar.

Kallis added 32 with AB de Villiers (17) and another 75 for the fourth wicket with Duminy, who hit three boundaries and a six.

Iftikhar had Duminy caught to put the brakes on South African progress before Akhtar returned for his third spell to dismiss Mark Boucher (five), Albie Morkel (five) and Kallis in a fiery display of pace bowling.

Earlier, Pakistan surprisingly rested the frontline pace pair of Umar Gul and Mohammad Asif. They also dropped opener Yasir Hameed to bring in Akhtar, Sohail Tanveer and Imran Nazir.

South Africa remained unchanged from the fourth match at Multan on Tuesday, which they won by seven wickets to level the series at 2-2.

The match was relocated from the southern city of Karachi after South Africa raised security concerns following attacks on former premier Benazir Bhutto's homecoming parade on October 18, which killed 139 people.

__________________
please join the forum and post