Misbah ul haq- captain no.4

The Big Picture On the eve of a Test series, the air should be thick with anticipation. Instead, Pakistan's desert encounter with South Africa begins under clouds of corruption and death threats. The turmoil would be enough to flatten most sides but Pakistan - be it their players or administrators - can ' compartmentalise' better than any. Out goes Zulqarnain Haider, in comes another Akmal, Adnan this time, and on goes the show. While the one-day series, which South Africa edged 3-2 , turned out to be a classic it's difficult to see Pakistan faring as well in the Tests. It's their first since losing Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir, and the replacements don't inspire. Misbah-ul-Haq, whose last Test was the Sydney debacle , has been installed as captain - Pakistan's fourth in a year - and the first item on his lengthy agenda will be justifying his place in the team. Mohammad Sami, a bowler with every talent bar wicket-taking, is also recalled, making this new era look suspiciously like the old. The return of Younis Khan, his first Test in over a year, lends the top-order a veneer of toughness that was absent against England earlier this year, but 534 runs at 25.42 in the 21 ODIs he's played during his Test wilderness, suggest his powers could be on the wane.