WATCHING South Africa play cricket was a rarity for the people of the sub-continent and for the islanders of the West Indies because during apartheid South Africa never played against the non-white teams.

It was only after their 21 years isolation from the game ended in 1991 and they returned to international cricket that we all now have the opportunity to watch their cricketers compete at equal level in every part of the world.

My first look at them was in 1965 when they toured England for a five match Test series and I consider myself lucky that I saw one of the greats of the game in Graeme Pollock, the left-handed batsman who scored a breathtaking century in the Trent-Bridge Test. Pity that the cricketing world, especially the non-white nations, did not have that opportunity to watch a batsman who if not for his country’s policies would have been one of the greats of the game.

The other thing that I remember of that series in England was the unbelievable fielding of one of their team members called Colin Bland. He was definitely of the two best fielders that I have watched over the years who could turn the game upside down with brilliant pick up and throw to run the batsmen out or scoop a catch from low down, stretching full length whether standing in the covers, in the deep or somewhere close to the wicket.

I could have hardly believed anyone had I not seen myself a demonstration that Colin gave to the students of the Tunbridge Wells School in Kent during the tour. From every corner of the field he picked and threw the ball at stumps hitting eight times out of ten. Such was his accuracy and pin-pointed, slinging right-arm throw. Sadly, his career was cut short due to a knee injury. A tall and imposing figure, Colin later settled down at Wimbledon in England after having recovered from life-threatening cancer.

The other brilliant fielder was, of course, Jonty Rhodes who was a live-wire in the field and whom the world witnessed for the first time in the 1992 World Cup. He ran as if he had springs in his feet and leaped and dived in the point and cover region with such alacrity and agility that belied belief.

A hyperactive individual whose image is still vivid in our minds when he picked up the ball in a flash and literally flew in the air to run out Inzamam-ul-Haq in that 1992 World Cup match at the Gabba in Brisbane. It was akin to a sea-eagle’s dive from the sky to scoop and pick up his prey and then flying away.

Both Bland and Rhodes were unique individuals anywhere in the outfield and an asset to any team. Any successful team needs to have a good and proper backup in the field and without it, they can really struggle and we have seen that happen so many times, especially when Pakistan is in the field.

On countless occasions we have been let down through lack of effort in the field. Dropped catches, mis-fielding, overthrows and mindless backing-up has been a regular feature of our national teams over the years. Only if Pakistan had improved in that department and had held their catches, their record in international cricket would have been even more outstanding.

At Newlands on Friday Younis Khan — one of the safest and most reliable slip fielders like Inzamam-ul-Haq before him — dropped a sitter in the second slip as Graeme Smith edged one off Umar Gul’s outgoing delivery when he had not even scored. And I thought, ‘well here we go again and are in for another drubbing because Smith is one man who these days bats like a man possessed.’

Luckily for Pakistan, though, that he did not last long and was dismissed when umpire Steve Davis’s decision off Saeed Ajmal was reversed by third umpire Billy Bowden and not for the first time in this innings. Hashim Amla, given not out by the same umpire, again off Ajmal, had to go out the same way.

Pakistan bowlers pressed on to keep the South African batsmen quite after being bowled out for a reasonably respectable score of 338. Vernon Philander had done the damage early at the start as Asad Shafiq, Sarfraz Ahmed and Umar Gul departed. But Tanvir Ahmed and Ajmal batted with responsibility to take Pakistan past 300. Tanvir showed that he can bat with a fluent 44 and Ajmal was just as determined in that ninth wicket 64-run stand that pretty much frustrated the Proteas.

Later during the day when South African wickets tumbled, Ajmal was as much in the picture as was Pakistan.