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Cricket South Africa is set for a structural overhaul at a meeting on February 19, the board’s chief executive Gerald Majola has said. Majola was speaking at a press conference on Wednesday following the resignation of coach Mickey Arthur and the sacking of the selection panel.

The interim selection committee, which will replace the one led by Mike Procter, comprises Majola, high performance manager Corrie van Zyl, who has also been appointed as interim coach, and former captain Kepler Wessels, who will also be the team’s batting consultant.

Mickey Arthur resignation as South Africa’s coach came in the wake of increasing pressure from administrators over what they saw as the under-performance of the national team.

Arthur quit in dramatic circumstances on Monday, reportedly following an “irreparable breakdown” in his relationship with Graeme Smith. But a source close to Cricket South Africa denied that a rift had developed between coach and captain.

“This is not a Graeme issue,” the source told Cricinfo. “Graeme is not that powerful. It looks ugly because he has been through three coaches (Eric Simons, Ray Jennings and Arthur) and three convenors of selectors, but he is still a young captain.”

South Africa has decided not to tour Pakistan later this year for a series of three Tests, five ODIs and a Twenty20 over security fears, but the Pakistan Cricket Board has offered to host the series in the UAE.

Ijaz Butt, the PCB chairman, said that South Africa’s cricket board had offered to play the matches in South Africa, but that proposal was turned down by Pakistan because it wasn’t cost effective.

“South Africa were supposed to tour, but because of their security fears they declined to come and that’s why we have offered them to play this full series of Tests, one-dayers and a Twenty20 (in October and November) at the neutral venue of the Emirates,” Butt told AFP.

Morne Morkel routed England’s lower-order in a spell of 3 for 0 in seven deliveries, before JP Duminy extracted the battling Paul Collingwood for a brave but futile 71, as South Africa levelled the series – and retained the Basil D’Oliveira Trophy – with a crushing innings-and-74-run victory at the Wanderers. The victory was delivered on the stroke of the lunch-break when Ryan Sidebottom missed a slog-sweep to give Duminy his second wicket in an 11-ball spell.

The IPL has released its final list of 66 overseas players who will be involved in the IPL auction on Tuesday. The list is a mix of rising stars such as Kieron Pollard and Eoin Morgan, and ICL returnees like Shane Bond and Damien Martyn in addition to Pakistan players returning to the IPL-fold. The list includes players from all eight Test-playing nations other than India, with 11 players from Pakistan, Australia and South Africa; nine from Sri Lanka; eight from England and West Indies; four from New Zealand and one each from Bangladesh, Zimbabwe, Canada and Holland.

Not even the loss of an average of 30 overs per day, nor the smokescreen of an ECB-led witch-hunt into the failings of the UDRS system, seem likely to save England from a crushing series-squaring defeat in the fourth and final Test at Johannesburg, after another day in which South Africa’s superior technique with bat and ball overcame a series of interruptions for thunderstorms and bad light. When play was suspended with 20 overs of the third day still to be bowled, Kevin Pietersen and Paul Collingwood were clinging on desperately, having watched as three of their colleagues were blown away by a trio of pumped-up pace bowlers.

England’s hopes of emerging from South Africa with a memorable series win were dealt a devastating blow on an eventful first day at Johannesburg, as Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel combined with ruthless intent on a helpful but not unplayable surface. The pair claimed eight wickets between them, including four inside the first ten overs alone, to bundle England out for a meagre 180 inside two sessions, and take a massive stride towards the victory that would square the series at 1-1.

Match facts
January 14-18, 2009
Start time 10.30 am (0830 GMT)

Big Picture

With its towering stands at either end of the ground, and the forbidding Perspex tunnel leading from the pavilion to the playing area, there are few more daunting venues for a touring team than the Wanderers. Factor in the prospect of a seething green surface and an opposition ready to bring a “do-or-die” attitude into the contest, and the stage is set for a battle of rare intensity. For all the narrowness of their escapes at Centurion and Cape Town, if England prevail in the grand finale of a memorable campaign, no-one will question their right to return home with the spoils.

South Africa are trying to convince everyone that they aren’t feeling sorry for themselves as they enter the final Test against England needing a win to level the series despite having dominated two of the three matches. However, it is clear that the home side feel they haven’t had the rub of the green over the last month.

Missing out on winning a Test by a single wicket once could be classed as unfortunate, but doing it twice is bordering on the careless. Mickey Arthur, the South Africa coach, was very careful not to belittle England’s success when he said the series should probably be 1-1, but the hosts clearly don’t think the current scoreline reflects the cricket played.

South Africa have no choice but to go for broke in the final Test against England as they aim to level the series at the Wanderers, and their coach Mickey Arthur has admitted it’s a time for gambling and aggression. It makes for a potent mix and promises a fascinating contest on a surface that the home side are determined to make sure will provide a result.