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Runs key as top South Africa, Pakistan bowlers square up
CENTURION, South Africa, Dec 24, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Pakistan coach Mickey
Arthur identified the need for his batsmen to post good totals as a key
factor in their three-Test series against South Africa, starting at
SuperSport Park in Centurion on Wednesday.
“The one thing we do know is that we can get 20 wickets comfortably. Our
challenge is to get to 350-400 (runs),” Arthur said in a pre-tour interview.
It is a refrain that could be echoed by Ottis Gibson, his South African
counterpart, ahead of a series which pits two strong sets of bowlers against
potentially fragile batting line-ups in a country where conditions usually
offer bowlers plenty of encouragement.
The bowling strength of both teams is formidable, despite the lack of what
had been anticipated as an intriguing match-up of exceptionally accurate
seamers between South Africa’s Vernon Philander and Pakistan’s rising star
Mohammad Abbas.
Philander has a broken finger, while Abbas is recovering from a shoulder
injury.
Abbas did not bowl in Pakistan’s win against a South African Invitation XI
last week but Arthur did not rule him out of contention for Test selection.
Even without Abbas, a pace attack of Mohammad Amir, Hasan Ali and Shaheen
Afridi, backed by the leg-spin of Yasir Shah, will pose a challenge for the
home batsmen.
South Africa will also be without fast bowler Lungi Ngidi because of a
long-term knee injury but veteran Dale Steyn, needing just one wicket to
become his country’s leading wicket-taker, bowled with good pace and rhythm
in a recent Twenty20 tournament, as did fellow spearhead Kagiso Rabada.
Duanne Olivier, who will be South Africa’s third seamer, was the top
wicket-taker in the T20 league and had match figures of seven for 54 in a
losing cause in a franchise match last week.
– Familiar frailty –
Pakistan’s batting showed familiar frailty when they twice collapsed in the
fourth innings in losing a Test series against New Zealand in the United Arab
Emirates recently.
But Haris Sohail, Babar Azam, Azhar Ali and Asad Shafiq all hit centuries
in the same series, while most of Pakistan’s top order were in the runs
against the Invitation team.
South Africa have some batting problems, exacerbated by the retirement of
AB de Villiers.
Opening batsmen Dean Elgar and Aiden Markram, consistent performers in home
wins against India and Australia last season, have yet to find top form this
season.
Hashim Amla, 35, may be nearing the end of a distinguished career.
In 10 Tests since his most recent century, against Bangladesh in October
2017, Amla has hit just four fifties and averaged a below-par 23.36.
He was out for a first-ball duck in a franchise match last week, although
he made 61 in the second innings.
Captain Faf du Plessis and wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock have been in
reasonable form but Theunis de Bruyn and Temba Bavuma did not play in the
most recent franchise matches because of back and hamstring strains
respectively.
Teams
South Africa (probable): Faf du Plessis (capt), Dean Elgar, Aiden Markram,
Theunis de Bruyn, Hashim Amla, Temba Bavuma, Quinton de Kock (wkt), Keshav
Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Dale Steyn, Duanne Olivier
Pakistan (from): Sarfraz Ahmed (capt/wkt), Asad Shafiq, Azhar Ali, Babar
Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Sohail, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq,
Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Rizwan, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi,
Shan Masood, Yasir Shah
Umpires: Bruce Oxenford (AUS), Sundaram Ravi (IND)
TV umpire: Joel Wilson (WIN)
Match referee: David Boon (AUS)
BSS/AFP/MRI/0830 hrs