CENTURION, South Africa, Feb 24, (Agencies): South Africa completed a series clean sweep when they beat Pakistan by an innings and 18 runs on the third day of the third and final Test against South Africa at SuperSport Park on Sunday. Pakistan were bowled out for 235 in their second innings, an improvement on their first innings total of 156. But the margin of victory and the series result was a fair reflection of the dominance of South Africa, the world champions, playing in their home conditions. Dale Steyn took four for 80 and was responsible for the run-out of Azhar Ali which sparked a collapse of the Pakistan middle order.
For the only time in the series, the Pakistan lower order showed some resistance and Steyn was frustrated in a final spell of eight overs after tea as the last pair, Rahat Ali and Mohammad Irfan, played and missed or edged the ball out of reach of the fielders.

At the other end Kyle Abbott was unable to complete a ten-wicket haul on his Test debut, finishing with two for 39 after taking seven for 29 in the first innings. Finally, captain Graeme Smith turned to left-arm spinner Robin Peterson who trapped Rahat leg before wicket with his sixth ball. South Africa won the first Test in Johannesburg by 211 runs and the second in Cape Town by four wickets. None of the matches went to a fifth day. An early finish seemed in prospect when Pakistan lost four wickets quickly after lunch to be floundering at 114 for six, but Sarfraz Ahmed (40) and Saeed Ajmal (31) batted enterprisingly and with a modicum of luck to put on 69 for the seventh wicket.

Azhar Ali and Imran Farhat defied the South African bowlers for most of a morning during which only the wicket of Younis Khan fell. They saw Pakistan through to lunch at 87 for two, with Azhar on 27, eked out over 110 balls. But Azhar did not face another ball before he was run out by a superb throw from fine leg by Dale Steyn after being sent back by Farhat, who had initially been seeking a second run. Pakistan’s hopes of avoiding an innings defeat crumbled as three more wickets fell in quick succession. Farhat was caught behind, slashing at first innings bowling hero Kyle Abbott for 43 and without addition to the score Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq edged an away-swinger from Rory Kleinveldt to wicketkeeper AB de Villiers. Asad Shafiq made only six before he drove Kleinveldt to mid-off. But Sarfraz and Ajmal showed spirit in batting through until tea.

Pakistan will continue to defy ICC conventions in letting the country’s president have a major say in the appointment of the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board. According to the new 22-page constitution of the PCB, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press on Saturday, the president will recommend to the nomination committee the names of two or more individuals for the post of chairman. The four-member committee will comprise two from the PCB board of governors and two representatives appointed by the president - the patron of the cricket board. In 2011, the International Cricket Council stated national federations should be autonomous and free of interference from governments by June 2013.
The ICC at that time also said it could consider sanctions against its member boards if a government continued to interfere in the working of a cricket board.

Pakistan looks set to clash with the ICC because the PCB’s new constitution still gives the patron all the powers in the appointment of chairmen. Clause 28 of the constitution says the committee, within one week of receiving the patron’s nominations, must meet to recommend a chairman to the board of governors. If the committee doesn’t recommend someone, the first person recommended by the patron “shall be deemed to have been recommended to the board of governors,” and will be appointed chairman for four years and eligible for reappointment.

This clause means present chairman, Zaka Ashraf, who was directly appointed by President Asif Ali Zardari in 2011, could continue. The 14-member board includes five representatives of service organizations and departments, and two non-voting members picked from a panel of three recommended by the chairman in consultation with the patron. The president’s powers were further strengthened in case the board rejects the nomination of the chairman, as the constitution says “the entire process will start de novo (from the beginning) with fresh nominations to be made by the patron.”

South Africa vs Pakistan Scoreboard
CENTURION, South Africa, Feb 24, (AP): Scoreboard Sunday after South Africa beat Pakistan by an innings and 18 runs in the third and final test at Supersport Park:
 

SOUTH AFRICA 1st Innings: 409
PAKISTAN 1st Innings
Mohammad Hafeez c Elgar b Abbott    18
Imran Farhat lbw b Philander    30
Azhar Ali b Philander    6
Younis Khan lbw b Abbott    33
Misbah-ul-Haq c Petersen b Abbott    10
Asad Shafiq lbw b Steyn    6
Sarfraz Ahmed c Smith b Abbott    17
Saeed Ajmal c Smith b Abbott    0
Ehsan Adil c du Plessis b Abbott    9
Mohammad Irfan c Elgar b Abbott    0
Rahat Ali not out    0
Extras: (17lb, 8w, 2nb)    27
Total: (all out)    156
Overs: 46.4.
Fall of wickets: 1-46, 2-56, 3-56, 4-75, 5-95, 6-132, 7-132, 8-149, 9-149.
Bowling: Dale Steyn 12-5-25-1 (1w), Vernon Philander 10-2-30-2 (1w), Rory Kleinveldt 12-1-49-0 (1nb, 1w), Kyle Abbott 11.4-4-29-7 (1nb, 1w), Robin Peterson 1-0-6-0.
 

PAKISTAN 2nd Innings
Mohammad Hafeez b Steyn    0
Azhar Ali run out Steyn/De Villiers    27
Younis Khan c Smith b Steyn    11
Imran Farhat c De Villiers b Abbott    43
Misbah-ul-Haq c De Villiers b Kleinveldt    5
Asad Shafiq c Philander b Kleinveldt    6
Sarfraz Ahmed c Elgar b Steyn    40
Saeed Ajmal lbw b Steyn    31
Ehsan Adil c Kleinveldt b Abbott    12
Rahat Ali lbw b Peterson    22
Mohammad Irfan not out    6
Extras: (9b, 10lb, 11w, 2nb)    32
 

Total: (all out)    235
Overs: 78.
Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-39, 3-93, 4-107, 5-107, 6-114, 7-183, 8-202, 9-202.
Bowling: Dale Steyn 23-5-80-4, Vernon Philander 15-4-32-0 (6w), Kyle Abbott 17-7-39-2 (2nb), Rory Kleinveldt 13-2-33-2 (5w), Robin Peterson 10-2-32-1.
Toss: won by South Africa.
Series: South Africa won 3-0.
Umpires: Billy Bowden, New Zealand, and Steve Davis, Australia.
TV Umpire: Bruce Oxenford, Australia. Match Referee: Jeff Crowe, New Zealand.