South Africa come into the series on the back of a 2-0 series win at home against Sri Lanka
Danyal Rasool25-Jan-2021Big pictureThis Test series, finally, is the sort that made Pakistan itch to get international cricket back home from the UAE. For perhaps the first time, the narrative will not be defined by the fact that it’s taking place in the country, where the venue matters more than the cricket itself. In South Africa, Pakistan have attracted one of the premier sides in Test cricket, a recent troubled run notwithstanding. And with the two sides far from perfect, both on the rebuild with young captains leading them out, this promises to be a series not quite shaped by cricketing excellence as engrossing human drama.Pakistan, not for the first time, are both a basket case and a team capable of great feats. They are at the start of a cycle, with the Babar Azam era promising to commence fully after a false start in New Zealand. There’s a new chief selector in Mohammad Wasim, who has brought in a slew of fresh faces, with at least a couple expected to make their debuts on Tuesday. At the same time, head coach Misbah-ul-Haq and bowling coach Waqar Younis need to be careful this series isn’t the last chapter in their stint with the side, after a less-than flattering PCB cricket committee performance review that has effectively put them on notice.Related
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South Africa, meanwhile, have enough worries of their own. They have been through enough headlines off the pitch to put their hosts – normally unmatched in that department – to shame, with financial worries, political wrangling at the board level, the firing of a CEO for alleged misconduct, all exacting heavy tolls. At the same time, they have had to manage a transition as nearly irreplaceable players like AB de Villiers, Hashim Amla and Vernon Philander have quit, and performances have gone south: South Africa lost eight out of nine Test matches before arresting the slide over Christmas with a 2-0 win at home against Sri Lanka.That series, and the shot in the arm it gave Quinton de Kock’s side, sets this contest up as a much more tantalising prospect than it might have been. With Kagiso Rabada returning and Anrich Nortje looking like he has the skillset to form an intimidating partnership with the frontman, South Africa may be up for some good things with the new ball. But given Pakistan have named as many spinners in their squad as they have won Tests against South Africa – four – there is a worry the pitch may neutralise the visitors’ biggest strength. Keshav Maharaj will have a significant role to play, and Tabraiz Shamsi, who has been refreshingly active on Twitter of late, may find himself having to walk the talk as well.Form guide”We’ve got the mindset that we are not scared to go out there and try something different. We can see they are going with a spin mindset. We’re coming with a mindset that if we want to win a series away from home, we’ve got to make a few brave calls.”
