The drive from Johannesburg and Centurion undulates across the highveld, an Afrikaans word for the 2,000-plus metre high plateau that marks most of Gauteng (pronounced with an H), the smallest of South Africa’s nine provinces.

Mining may not be as big or as important an activity here any longer, but it certainly was the foundation on which Gauteng and the surrounding provinces were raised after the initial resettlement by the Boers (largely Europeans of Dutch, French and German origin), who moved away from the Cape area where the white man had first congregated on this enormous continent.

In the years since it became the Rainbow Nation, South Africa has continued to grow economically around its four largest cities, Cape Town, Johannesburg-Pretoria (now renamed Polokwame), Port Elizabeth and Durban.

In between these widely scattered cities lies a vast, mega-diverse land that ranges from the desert in the north-west to the more fertile and tropical east and south-east. Gauteng is right in the middle of this vast country and has consequently become a magnet for the poor — of whom there are millions — and the ambitious.

Geese honk their way across skies that look down on a queer mixture of urban sprawl and tiny neighbourhoods in Johannesburg. And while life here is dominated and determined by the extremely high crime rate, Jo’burg is also one of Africa’s more vibrant cities and its nightlife an example of the energy and vitality of the people here — black, white and Asian in the main.

Pakistan’s hot new face is Umar Akmal. The 19-year-old, along with fellow teen Mohammad Aamer came to the fore in their opening game against the West Indies, and the younger brother of gloveman Kamran, is determined to push his side all the way to the title.

Pakistan have a notoriously poor record against India, their Group A opponents here on Saturday and young Umar is confident that record will change. "The day I was announced in the 15-member squad I was confident that if given a chance in the final 11 we will take the trophy to Pakistan," Akmal said on the ICC’s website. For the record, the only time India have lost to their sub-continental rivals came at the 2004 edition of this event — the Champions Trophy — in England.

Three Indians — Ashish Nehra, Amit Mishra and Abhishek Nayar — have been so far picked for random dope tests but the focus continues to be on Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Asif. The lanky seamer, just back from a year-long IPL dope ban, was taken for a test even as Pakistan were at a practice session at Johannesburg on Thursday. "It is nothing out of the ordinary and in keeping with the ICC’s testing procedures at these tournaments," a team official said,

While this may be so, the spotlight is certain to stay on the man, who has two drug-related infringements to his name, both times for steroids. Asif’s ban ended at midnight on September 22, and he was finally able to join the team, having flown in separately via London two days previously and thereafter kept segregated from the rest of the squad.

— Rahul Banerji