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[EXCLUSIVE] "South Africa will be quite aggressive against Pakistan spin": Rassie van der Dussen

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In this exclusive interview, South Africa batter Rassie van der Dussen reflects on the Proteas' historic World Test Championship victory and looks ahead to the challenging tour of Pakistan. The versatile top-order batsman breaks down the team's strategy for subcontinent conditions, discusses the key players for both sides, and opens up about his current career status in franchise cricket — and much more.

Key revelations include:

WTC triumph: "It was absolutely massive" - He credited the win to the "South African character and fight," calling it a "massive achievement" for the country in the cricketing sphere.

⁠⁠Retaining the title: "There's a target on your back" - Looking to the new WTC cycle, he acknowledged that retaining the title will be even more difficult, as the team now has a "target on your back."

⁠⁠Pakistan series approach: "We're going to be quite aggressive" - The upcoming two-series schedule, starting with Pakistan and followed by India, presents "as big a challenge as you probably get," mainly due to the expected spinning wickets in the subcontinent. Van der Dussen believes the South African batters will adopt an aggressive, attacking mindset to counter the effectiveness of Pakistani spinners like Nauman Ali and Sajid Khan.

⁠On Brevis' potential: "He just hits good balls for six" - Says Brevis should be given a chance, as he is the type of aggressive batter who can "take the game away in a session" against spin.

⁠South Africa's secret:
"International cricket is not a finishing school" - The system operates on the premise that international cricket is "not a finishing school" and players must be the "finished article" before they are selected .

⁠Personal future: "I haven't retired" - Clear statement on his availability for South Africa.

On Pakistan tour: He shared that while he has toured Pakistan five or six times, the security situation limits players to their hotels, preventing them from experiencing the country.

Thoughts on PSL: He also spoke highly of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), calling the standard of cricket "so high" due to the mix of top international and local players.

Watch full interview with Saj here:

 
South Africa is playing mind games.

They are not counting on their batsmen to do too well. They are counting on their spinners.

South Africa is no Australia or England. They have quality spinners.

This series will be a competition between the Pak and SA spinners. Whoever takes more wickets will win the series.
 
Pakistan batting is better than SA test batting in SC conditions.

However SA spinners Keshav and Harmer are more experienced and better than Nauman+Sajid.

Pak should prepare normal slow turner wkts rather than dustbowl.
 
That is fine... Aggression could help you often, but the spin-friendly tracks will test you hard. Especially a SENA team.
 
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