Kimberley: Pakistan scrambled to a one-wicket win with two balls to spare against a makeshift South African Invitation XI at the Diamond Oval on Wednesday.
Last-wicket pair Abdul Rahman (35 not out) and Junaid Khan (nine not out) put on an unbeaten 28 to take their team to victory in their only warm-up match before a five-game One Day International series against South Africa, starting in Bloemfontein on Sunday.
The Invitation team, including only players not involved in two domestic franchise Twenty20 matches on Wednesday, made 266 for eight in their 50 overs, with the major contribution coming from 20-year-old left-hander Quinton de Kock.
De Kock, who played in a recent one-day international series against New Zealand but was not picked for the series against Pakistan, hit 65 off 73 balls with six fours and a six.
He and captain Stephen Cook (34) got the Invitation side off to a good start with a first-wicket stand of 55, which was followed by partnerships of 54 with Jonathan Vandiar (24) and 45 with Vaughn van Jaarsveld (36).
Pakistan spinners Shoaib Malik, Abdur Rehman and Shahid Afridi were the most effective bowlers for the tourists.
No Pakistan batsman reached 50, with Imran Farhat (40) and Kamran Akmal (47) the most successful batsmen, while fast bowler Hardus Viljoen and leg-spinner Imran Tahir took three wickets apiece.
Meanwhile, disgraced Pakistani leg-spinner Danish Kaneria will seek compensation from English cricket authorities for delaying his appeal against a life ban imposed for spot-fixing last year, his lawyer said on Thursday.
The 32-year-old’s appeal against the ban was adjourned until April 22 after Kaneria’s accuser, former Essex bowler Mervyn Westfield reportedly refused to appear at the hearing in December last year.
Kaneria, Pakistan’s most successful Test spinner with 261 wickets in 61 matches, was banned after Westfield named him in an England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) inquiry in June last year. Westfield was banned for five years.
Kaneria’s lawyer Farogh Naseem said his client was distraught by the delay in hearing his appeal.
“We will definitely seek compensation from the ECB as because of the ban my client has been unable to play and earn a living,” Naseem said.
He refused to disclose the exact figure but went on to say that it will be “substantial”.
“We feel that they not only have delayed the procedure, but they refused to allow an interim measure until it was decided,” the lawyer said. “Kaneria should have been allowed to continue to play while the matter was settled.”
Two years ago, Kaneria was arrested by Essex police on charges of inducing his teammate Westfield to concede a certain number of runs in an over in return of money during a Pro-40 match against Durham in 2009.
The Pakistani leg-spinner was not charged but Westfield named Kaneria as the go-between during a criminal inquiry last year, which ended in a four-month jail term for the Englishman.
Under International Cricket Council rules, bans imposed on a player by any country have to be applied by all member boards.
Naseem said his client wants the appeal to be heard in public.
“We do not have anything to hide and, if the ECB is confident they have a strong case, they should have nothing to hide as well,” he said.
