Never say never

We should have known better. We should have known when it comes to Pakistan cricket to expect the totally unexpected.

Just as the self-destruct button was about to be pushed again and Pakistan cricket was to be consigned to deeper depths of despair, something extraordinary happened and their campaign was yanked back on track due to sheer individual brilliance.

They have been doing it for decades!

Forget about cohesion. Forget about team unity. Forget about disciplines and planning. Just sit back and enjoy what they can throw out when adversity surrounds them.

Rarely have two cricket teams displayed such stark contrasts.

South Africa were initially storming in the desert and showing no signs of reducing their firepower. They relished playing against a disorganised opposition and delighted in grinding them into submission.

Pakistan were poor. Nothing was right about them and they were given a snowball's chance in the UAE of winning a game. The harsh reality in the first three games was that their batsmen capitulated at a more startling rate than Dubai's economy. A bail-out was needed but benefactors were nowhere in sight.

That was until Abdul Razzaq played one of the most extraordinary innings you will ever see to snatch a scintillating victory and level the series. I am struggling to remember a better one-day match-winning knock considering its conclusive nature. It wasn't a cameo. It was devastation at its best from a long way out that ensured victory with one ball to spare. The stunned, wide-eyed expressions of the South Africans said it all.

An uncertain group of men wearing predominantly lime green have so far unsuccessfully masqueraded as a team and have suffered some embarrassing early losses, and now one startling victory.

Pakistan were the ones reeling from pressure but the blitzkrieg from Razzaq has blown open some cracks and put the sharp focus on some of South Africa's inadequacies. The 'death bowling' looked extremely rusty. Now they will have to look to Rusty.

The South African squad is determined to express themselves in a manner we should have seen for years. They want to take calculated risks to succeed where previously a siege mentality hampered progress at crucial junctures. It was all looking so promising but a massive bump in the road has now jolted some individual endeavours.

In just under four months the World Cup gets under way and already competition for South African spots is intensifying. Like many other teams in world cricket right now there is no room for sentiment and lead-in performance will be rightly rewarded.

It is time for some to dig deep and show that they have what it takes to be entrusted with their country's badge.

Pakistan will now believe ..... for a while anyway.

Bring it on in Dubai.