No complaints from Klaasen about South Africa's Dubai dash

What would you do with 18 hours in Dubai? Go to the mall? To another mall? Still another? And, of course, get stuck in traffic between malls. What else is there to do in a place comprised of not much more than a bustling collection of soulless shopping malls separated by perpetually snarled traffic?

That's an uncharitably cynical view of one of the world's most vibrant melting pots, and South Africa's Champions Trophy squad didn't share it on Sunday. No doubt at least partly because, for security reasons, they had spent the previous three weeks holed up in hotels in Pakistan.

The South Africans flew from Karachi, where they beat England by seven wickets on Saturday, to the Emirates on Sunday. That way, they would have had more time at their disposal should they have been required to play their semifinal against India in Dubai on Tuesday.

India's 44-run win over the New Zealanders in Dubai on Sunday meant South Africa would be up against the Kiwis in their semifinal in Lahore on Wednesday. So the South Africans traipsed back to Pakistan on Monday, having spent around 18 hours in the Emirates.

Australia also made an early, pre-emptive trip to Dubai. And a good thing, too, because Sunday's result means they will play India there on Tuesday.

"We knew there was a big possibility that we might have to fly up and down," Heinrich Klaasen told a press conference on Monday. "It's not ideal for the body, but at least we had some time to get out and walk around and get loose; just had some nice time. But we knew it was going to happen. It was part of the scheduling that two teams would have to do it. We were one of them, unfortunately."

Not that Klaasen was complaining: "We haven't really travelled a lot in this competition. It was a crazy 18 hours, but both teams who are playing in Lahore had to travel six hours after playing a game.

"We at least had off time to stretch our legs and recover before we had to come back. In that respect, there's not a lot of difference. I think our bodies will be in a better state than [the New Zealanders']."

The to and fro was required because India are based in Dubai for the duration of the tournament to circumvent security fears and political concerns over their presence in Pakistan. And because the BCCI are the financial behemoths of the modern game: what they want, they get.

India's special status forced group A to be designed like a solar system. They were at the centre. Bangladesh, Pakistan and New Zealand were the orbiting planets. No such lopsided arrangement applied in group B, where Afghanistan, Australia, England and South Africa played their matches in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi.

That has led to the highlighting of what have been cast as unfair advantages for the Indians, who have not had to take a flight, change hotels or adjust to differing conditions since they arrived in Dubai.

Some, notably Pat Cummins, Aaqib Javed and Rassie van der Dussen, have cocked a snook at India's privilege. But not Klaasen: "The last two days, or the last 18 hours, have been a good break for us to see a different environment."

Night golf was on the menu for some of the South Africans during their dash to Dubai. Doubtless others went to the malls and subjected themselves to the traffic. What they didn't do was concern themselves with Sunday's match, even though its outcome determined where they would go next.

"We definitely didn't use our 18 hours to watch cricket, but I know some of the coaching staff did," Klaasen said. "To win this tournament, you're going to have to beat two very good teams. Regardless of where you want to play, you still need to beat two good teams.

"If we beat New Zealand and India beat Australia, we still have to go and beat India [in the final in Dubai]. If Australia beat them, we still have to beat a good Australian team [in the final in Lahore]. Regardless of where you play around the world, you have to play good cricket.

And, if you want to reach a global ODI final, nevermind win it, you have to do so for longer than 18 hours.