Another abject batting performance by Pakistan resulted in a 67-run defeat at the hands of South Africa in their ICC Champions Trophy 2013 match at Edgbaston.
Pakistan have been very good in one department - read bowling - but woeful in the other - read batting - which has led to their downfall in their first two matches in the tournament and with it their hopes of making the semifinals hanging by the thinnest of threads.
Batting first, South Africa made 234 for nine in their 50 overs, with Hashim Amla scoring what proved to be a vital 81 (97b, 9x4).
"I think the game, we didn't have a lot to defend at 230 and we thought it was a par score of this type of a wicket," Amla said. "Fortunately, (Lonwabo) Tsotsobe was in front, and he seemed to be at his best.
"He kept scoring really tight, and I think he led from the front which is something that we're really happy that he's done well.
"The way we kind of fielded and bowled upfront made 230 seemed a lot more. The wicket deteriorated and it wasn't the easy wicket to bat on. As (Aaron) Phangiso, Robin Peterson, and JP Duminy bowled, it made it a lot more difficult and fortunately 230 was enough."
The final score would have been a lot bigger had it not been for some brilliant bowling and fielding from Pakistan, who restricted South Africa in the final ten overs to keep the target to a very makeable 235.
Unfortunately, the batsmen have just not backed their bowlers up in the Champions Trophy, and Misbah-ul-Haq (55, 75b, 3x4, 1x6), who was brilliant in the first match against West Indies, was again the only one to make a score of note as Pakistan crumbled to 167 all out in 45 overs, much to the disappointment of the captain and indeed the partisan capacity crowd at Edgbaston.
"It's really difficult and disappointing," Misbah said. "Because even in the mid, it was less than 6 an over, and that was very much like a Pakistani pitch.
"You play time and time over on these sort of pitches. It's not a match that you could say the wicket was difficult. I think, again, it's the application how the batsmen are just applying themselves and not getting runs.
"I think at the moment, nobody is justifying their place on the team and nobody is getting runs for Pakistan."
