The International Cricket Council's response to the Australian ball tampering incident in the third test at Newlands is firmly under the spotlight with strong punishment expected for the culprits, South Africa coach Ottis Gibson said on Sunday.
The resounding thud of South Africa's fall on home soil capped an intriguing season of Test cricket that has seen the establishment rocked and an ambitious Australia return to court with a swagger.
David Miller helped South Africa blast 14 runs from their super over, before the wily Tahir restricted Sri Lanka to only five in reply, two of which were wides.
South Africa's dramatic 231-run victory over Australia in the second Test set up an enticing decider at Newlands which could see the hosts seal a first home series win over the tourists in 44 years.
Dean Elgar's century and a quick-fire unbeaten 68 from Quinton de Kock lifted South Africa to 297 for six on the opening day of the second Test against Sri Lanka at Newlands on Monday.
Indian cricket has been told to not keep the shower open for more than two minutes.
England captain Eoin Morgan will lead England against South Africa at Newlands on Tuesday in their first One-day international since they claimed the World Cup in dramatic fashion at Lord's in July, and he said the aim now is to make sure that was not a one-off success.
South Africa's Farhaan Behardien reckons that the batsmen will have to be smart with shot-selection
The left-hander underwent scans on his jaw after being struck by an Andre Russell bouncer in the second over of Australia's innings
When Ryan Harris hobbled into Newlands for the final day of the third Test against South Africa on Wednesday, it seemed unlikely he would end up being the man to clinch the series for Australia.
Australia won the third and final Test against South Africa by 245 runs at Newlands in a nailbiting finish with just 27 balls to spare after a day of epic home resistance.
Steve Smith's defiant century on day one of the Ashes series restored the former Australian captain to hero status in the eyes of a grateful nation.
Australia dominated with bat, ball and in the field to post their second successive innings victory over Pakistan
Federation of International Cricketers Association (FICA) chief executive Tony Irish has advocated the use of educational programs to check the menace of ball-tampering in the game.
Quinton de Kock scored a rapid half-century as South Africa defeated Pakistan by seven wickets at Newlands to claim the five-match one-day series 3-2.
The Pretoria wicket is likely to be similar, with perhaps not the same sideways movement of Newlands, and will provide another test of the Indian batsmen's bravery against a seam bowling barrage.
South African Test captain Graeme Smith has reportedly completed his first competitive outing since May in a warm-up match between Indian side Madhya Pradesh and Proteas domestic side Cape Cobras at Newlands.
The three-Test South Africa series is the first of a gruelling 2018-19 season that includes tours to England and Australia.
Batsmen Cameron Bancroft has been charged by the International Cricket Council and Smith told reporters that it was a deliberate plan from the "leadership group" of the side, but added he would not step down as captain.
In the space of two days, top batsman Smith has gone from Australia's cricketing golden boy to national pariah and it looks likely that he has played his last Test as captain.
Captain Faf du Plessis led from the front with a hard-earned century to give South Africa a commanding 205-run advantage at the end of the second day of the second Test against Pakistan, at Newlands, on Friday.
Warner, himself, said he had no regrets but admitted he was thinking about Lara's record as he motored past 300.
Opener Dean Elgar hit an unbeaten 60 as South Africa coasted to a comfortable eight-wicket win over the West Indies in the final Test at Newlands on Tuesday to take the three-match series 2-0 and retain their ranking as the top side in Tests.
'They need to be pro-active and take the pacers' challenge head on'
The incident, which Australian captain Steve Smith said involved senior players hatching a plan to tamper with the ball during a game against rival South Africa, also threatens to upset current negotiations over broadcast rights.
South African seamer Vernon Philander, who missed the last Test against New Zealand owing to a hamstring injury, has returned to the squad for the first cricket Test match against Pakistan.
South Africa fast bowler Dale Steyn became the third fastest bowler to pick 300 wickets in Test cricket when he bowled Doug Bracewell in the first session of the first Test against New Zealand at Newlands on Wednesday.
Rabada, the number one ranked Test bowler, could still play if he succeeds in his appeal against an International Cricket Council (ICC) decision to award him three demerit points for his reaction to dismissing Steve Smith in the second Test.
Graeme Smith described South Africa's four-wicket victory over Pakistan in the second Test as one of the most rewarding wins in his 100 matches as captain of the side.
Robin Peterson and AB de Villiers hauled South Africa back into the game on the third day of the second Test against Pakistan at Newlands on Saturday.
Younis Khan and Asad Shafiq made fine centuries as Pakistan recovered from a poor start to reach 253 for five on the opening day of the second Test against South Africa at Newlands on Thursday.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) congratulated South Africa's Graeme Smith for his glorious career, saying he has been an inspiring sportsman and would go down in cricket's history as one of its most respected captains.
Skipper Graeme Smith believes South Africa have possibly the best top-six among contemporary batting line-ups as they prepare to face Pakistan in the second Test at Newlands starting on Thursday.
Veteran South African all rounder Jacques Kallis requires just 184 runs over the course of the next two Test matches against Pakistan to move above retired Indian batsman Rahul Dravid into the third place for most runs in a Test career.
Travis Head, D' Arcy Short and Chris Lynn have been dropped, while the pace trio of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood have been rested.
Mumbai Indians found themselves on the brink of exit from the Champions League Twenty20 after rain washed out their Group B match against Yorkshire in Cape Town.
Back-to-back wins over two star-studded Indian Premier League teams -- Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings -- have made the Highveld Lions a force to reckon with in the ongoing Champions League Twenty20 cricket tournament, feels senior batsman Neil McKenzie.
In-form Sydney Sixers produced a clinical all-round performance and romped to a crushing eight-wicket win over Yorkshire in their Champions League Twenty20 match in Cape Town on Tuesday.
Fast bowler Dale Steyn has been ruled out of this week's third test against England in a major blow to South Africa's bid to get back into the four-match series. The shoulder injury which restricted his bowling in the first test and forced him out the second has not healed in time for the third game starting at the Wanderers in Johannesburg on Thursday, Cricket South Africa said on Monday.
England paceman James Anderson has been ruled out of the first Test against South Africa with a calf injury, the country's cricket board said on Thursday.