Pakistan target series triumph

FOURTH ONE-DAY INTERNATIONAL, Multan:
Pakistan v South Africa
Match starts Friday 0700 BST

Pakistan can secure the one-day series with South Africa when the fourth match takes place in Multan on Friday.

Having lost the two-Test series 1-0, Pakistan have won the last two matches to take a 2-1 lead with two games left.

They will give fitness tests to paceman Mohammad Asif, yet to feature in the series due to an elbow injury, and left-arm spinner Abdul Rehman (groin).

South Africa coach Mickey Arthur said: "We really want to win the one-day series as well."

Arthur insisted the security concerns that prompted the switching of Monday's final match from Karachi to Lahore had not had an adverse effect on his team.

"It has not distracted us at all," he said. "That's been dealt with really well by the management. We are satisfied the correct procedures were followed."

Another talking point has been the particularly slow nature of the wickets but Arthur said: "It's up to us to counter the pitches.

"They realised their strengths were in the spin department and it was one area they felt they could take advantage and they've prepared wickets according to that.

"Hats off to Pakistan for bowling well in the middle overs and that's where they have won the games."

Pakistan, faring well under new Australian coach Geoff Lawson, have won only 16 of 50 one-day matches against South Africa dating back to the 1992 World Cup, and have lost the last three full series played between the teams.

Skipper Shoaib Malik, who with Lawson helped Pakistan to the final of the recent ICC World Twenty20, said the mood in the camp was right.

"We are not overconfident," he said. "All the players are backing each other and I hope we can beat them."

Pakistan (possible): Yasir Hameed, Shahid Afridi, Younis Khan, Mohammad Yousuf, Shoaib Malik (capt), Misbah-ul-Haq, Kamran Akmal (wkt), Abdur Rehman, Sohail Tanvir, Rao Iftikhar Anjum, Umar Gul.

South Africa (possible): Graeme Smith (capt), Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Mark Boucher (wkt), Shaun Pollock, Albie Morkel, Johan Botha, Andre Nel, Makhaya Ntini.

Source: BBC Sport