South Africa vs Pakistan | 1st Test | Centurion | Dec 26-30, 2018 | Pre-Match Thread

[TeamPak95]

Let's see how Shaheen fares here.

 

[warcry]

Fakhar
Shan
Azhar
Babar
Shafiq
Haris
Sarfraz
Faheem
Amir
Hasan
Shaheen


this should be the lineup for the first test
4 quicks with Haris as 5th bowler
batting all the way down to Faheem at 8
Amir at no9 isnt bad option.

 

[Pete Rose]

Abbas is a loss, but I thinking Shadab not being fit will ensure that yasir plays - which is the right call

 

[Abdullah]

Fakhar
Shan
Azhar
Babar
Shafiq
Haris
Sarfraz
Faheem
Amir
Hasan
Shaheen


this should be the lineup for the first test
4 quicks with Haris as 5th bowler
batting all the way down to Faheem at 8
Amir at no9 isnt bad option.

I agree with this, we will have to bowl one of the 3 main quicks into the ground ( ala Asif in 2007) but that will be fine as we can replace with Abbas from game 2 onwards

 

[Forum363]

We can all continue to give our preferences but with Abbas out, I would say it is obvious what the management will go with.

Imam
Fakhar
Azhar
Haris
Asad
Babar
Sarfaraz
Yasir
Amir
Hassan
Afridi

The only potential chnage is Faheem Ashraf coming in. It makes sense for him to replace Yasir given the pitch and Yasir’s performance in Aus. However our management have very short term memory and i doubt they would risk not playing their main match winner over the past few tests.

Imam secured his place with the knock in the second innings while Fakhar is a given due to his aggressive batting and great debut test.

 

[umerafzaal12]

So you bascially want to play with 6 tail enders?. Yes I think sarfraz is worst than a tail ender.

 

[umerafzaal12]

I'd open with Azhar. His record as an opener is superior.

1 Fakhar
2 Azhar
3 Haris
4 Babar
5 Shafiq
6 Sarfaraz
7 Fahim
8 Yasir
9 Amir
10 Hassan
11 Shaheen

So you bascially want to play with 6 tail enders?. Yes I think sarfraz is worst than a tail ender.

 

[Usman Chadda]

There goes our advantage from Philander's absence. Abbas is a huge miss in these conditions.

 

[JaanZeb]

Shadab is a huge loss,in case our senior bottlers collapse which is very much likely, we have no tail to pile 50+ runs.

1st match at Centurion was a great opportunity as India started their series at Cape Town and it took them 2 tests to recover.

With no Shadab our chances dry up due to weak batters enjoying PCB contracts for doing nothing.

 

[Barragan]

Losing Abbas is a huge blow.

shadab being out is a positive though, considering both Haris and Azhar are on par as bowlers, so he would have been a dud inclusion.

Should play Faheem in place of Shaheen because he is rookie and he won't know the art of setting up a batsman in Test cricket yet, plus Faheem can seam the bowl is well.

 

[Junaids]

We know that Mickey wanted a 5 man attack, so I'm assuming:

1. Fakhar Zaman
2. Azhar Ali
3. Asad Shafiq
4. Haris Sohail
5. Babar Azam
6. Sarfraz Ahmed (c/wk)
7. Faheem Ashraf
8. Mohammad Amir
9. Yasir Shah
10. Hasan Ali
11. Shaheen Shah Afridi

The only enforced changes are:

Yasir Shah in for Shadab Khan, who would have played the 2 high altitude Tests where spinners barely bowl.

Hasan Ali in for Mohammad Abbas.

It's a very attacking team, going for broke with the ball on the basis that it's better to have a fifth bowler than the runs of Imam-ul-Haq or Shan Masood.

The aim has to be to win a low-scoring Test.

Bringing in Hasan Ali for Abbas potentially improves the threat to left-handed batsmen like Elgar and De Kock. But it also requires Hasan Ali to take his batting seriously for a change.

 

[moghul]

Pakistan will play with 10 players and a captain.

 

[Nasty Naz]

As much as I'd love for Pakistan to go with Fakhar and Azhar, I think that is unlikely considering they selected 3 openers despite having Azhar as an option to open. I think they go with this:

Imam
Fakhar
Azhar
Haris
Shafiq
Babar
Sarfraz
Amir
Yasir
Hasan
Shaheen

Haris/Fakhar/Azhar can bowl part time spin if they need to do so.

Going with 6 batsmen and 5 bowlers is a risky proposition considering how weak the batting lineup is already and I don't think Faheem can make enough of a difference with the bat or bowl to justify being in the lineup. Maybe if Shadab was healthy and instead of Yasir, they could throw in 6 batsmen, 2 allrounders in Faheem and Shadab with 3 legit bowlers, maybe that would make more sense.

Test is a game of a specialists and I think that's what Pakistan needs to do. Stick with your specialists.

 

[Justcrazy]

Yasir
Amir
Afridi
Hassan

Harris / Azhar as part timers

 

[Mirpur express]

Don’t understand the reason behind rushing Shadab back!! He should’ve been rested

 

[arehaan]

With Imam getting runs in practice game don’t see him getting dropped. I think we will go with this line up
1. Imam
2. Fakhar
3. Azhar
4. Harris
5. Shafiq
6. Babar
7. Sarfaraz
8. Amir
9. Yasir
10. Hassan
11. Shaheen

I would love to play the all rounder but can’t find a spot for him when you have 10 players and a captain.

Also the form of Shafiq is a big worry. The availability of Harris as the 5th bowler helps and can be valuable in 2nd innings

 

[coy0607]

Abbas is a huge blow. I guess it'll come down to Shaheen vs Faheem for the 4th bowler

 

[Oligochaetes]

So Abbas cancels Philander out.

But Shaheen is a decent replacement so no issues I hope. Its the batting that needs to perform.

 

[Oligochaetes]

Abbas is a huge blow. I guess it'll come down to Shaheen vs Faheem for the 4th bowler

It's tempting to go with Faheem, but am not impressed with his test level bowling skills.

 

[Junaids]

So you bascially want to play with 6 tail enders?. Yes I think sarfraz is worst than a tail ender.

The problem is, for Pakistan to play a sixth specialist batsman (Shan Masood or Imam), they have to drop the Fourth quick which means overbowling the three main quicks.

But the sixth batsman will be rubbish anyway.

Pakistan’s only hope is a low scoring series - which means a full strength bowling attack in which Faheem as Fourth quick keeps Amir, Shaheen and Hasan fresh enough to bowl short, quick spells.

The problem with having to pick Yasir Shah is that on the High Veldt, the spinner will effectively be a specialist batsman and fielder.

 

[Junaids]

It's tempting to go with Faheem, but am not impressed with his test level bowling skills.

He’s not there to take wickets.

He’s there to allow Amir, Shaheen and Hasan to bowl shorter spells with a bigger break between overs than when Yasir Shah bowls.

But above all he’s there to score tailend runs to make up for the top order collapsing.

 

[Abdullah]

@Saj, [MENTION=93712]MenInG[/MENTION]reen
Any news from the camp about how they plan to lineup? Can you tell anything from training?

 

[Hadi Rizvi]

Faheem's bowling being underrated yet again. If he doesn't take wickets then he won't leak either. With him at 7, there's always a chance of a quick fire 30-40 batting with the tail.

He troubled Cook throughout the ENG series and performed well overall. Top scored against IRE in the 1st innings and took the most wickets in the 2nd test against ENG.

 

[Hadi Rizvi]

Lineup should be:

Fakhar Zaman
Azhar Ali
Haris/Imam(this is 50-50 but personally would go with Haris)
Asad Shafiq
Babar Azam
Sarfraz Ahmed
Faheem Asharf
Mohammad Amir
Hasan Ali
Yasir Shah
Shaheen Afridi

 

[samiakh]

Have to play Faheem as 3rd pacer in 4 bowler lineup. We need him to bat at 8 otherwise tail too long. You know you are going to be 20-2 or 3,after the new ball. Need to be able to recover from that to score 250+, to have any chance. Can only do that if 5-8 can get runs.

 

[Mobashir]

I am really hesitating between Yasir Shah and Faheem Ashraf for the 4th bowling option. We normally need both of them in the playing XI as 4th and 5th bowling option.
But for two reasons we can't afford it :
- Our batting line up is not good enough
- Faheem Ashraf hasn't proved himself enough as a capable bat.

Of course, Amir, Hasan Ali and Afridi should play and the 4th bowler should be picked looking at the conditions.

 

[barah_admi]

If I am not mistaken ,Shadab has been carrying this injury for a while and has been made to play with it in the past. I believed his selection in this squad was based on him being fully fit, but if it is not, the PCB needs to be professional and not risk serious injury to the brightest young spark in cricket.

Edit:

As for the bowling line up, I think it picks itself - Amir, Hasan, Shaheen and Shah.

 

[nextover666666]

Will be interesting to see how we bowl without Abbas

 

[Saj]

So it looks like it will be:

Fakhar Zaman
Imam
Azhar Ali
Haris
Asad Shafiq
Babar Azam
Sarfraz Ahmed
Mohammad Amir
Hasan Ali
Yasir Shah
Shaheen Afridi

I worry about the batting and whether they can make 300 runs.

 

[a_tahir]

What position will Babar bat at??

 

[coy0607]

It's tempting to go with Faheem, but am not impressed with his test level bowling skills.

Yeah, Faheem's batting definitely make him a tempting option. But Shaheen has the ability to take 2-3 quick wickets at any time and change the match. I'd go with Shaheen

 

[AFM]

So it looks like it will be:

Fakhar Zaman
Imam
Azhar Ali
Haris
Asad Shafiq
Babar Azam
Sarfraz Ahmed
Mohammad Amir
Hasan Ali
Yasir Shah
Shaheen Afridi

I worry about the batting and whether they can make 300 runs.

Have you been given some indication from the team management or is this your theorised XI?

 

[AFM]

Yeah, Faheem's batting definitely make him a tempting option. But Shaheen has the ability to take 2-3 quick wickets at any time and change the match. I'd go with Shaheen

Play both.

 

[JaanZeb]

Need a Shadab or Faheem after Sarfraz if Pakistan is looking for a competitive total and runs in the tailend. The bottom 5 of Pakistan XI have secured defeats on a home wicket.

Without either of them, its all upto Azhar and Haris to save the innings. Have zero trust on the rest of the batting.

 

[WhenSultansBowled]

Who is out of form from SA?

Just trying to get hopes up for the 1st game

 

[MMHS]

With Abbas out, I think the playing XI is almost fixed. 7 players are automatic choices - Sarfraz, Imam, Azhar, Haris, Assad, Babar & Hasan.

With Shadab injured, I think the option of 5-2-3 combination gone, so one of the openers play, and I guess they’ll pick Zaman. With Abbas out means both Amir & Shaheen makes it certainly. Only spot left was between Fahim & Yasir - I think they’ll go for Yasir, but I am not sure before having a close look at the wicket.

Waiting for pictures of wicket 48 hours before toss. Centurion isn’t a good place for spinners, but these days quality of spin play is such that Yasir might run through SAF even on a green top!!!!! If Lyon can be MoM against IND on that Perth deck, then everything is possible. Yasir is probably safer bet over Fahim - my XI is

Imam, FZ
Azhar, Haris, Babar, Asad
Sarfraz
Amir, Hasan, Yasir, Shaheen.

 

[Titan24]

We performed well in England this time around with 5 bowling options.

Needed to induct another all rounder if Shadab wasn’t fit to give themselves option of having 5 bowlers with decent batting depth.

 

[Arsalan Pro]

Who is out of form from SA?

Just trying to get hopes up for the 1st game

Amla, Bavuma, De Kock

 

[Gullycricket]

Don't know why but have a gut feeling we may just bag this series

 

[Saj]

Have you been given some indication from the team management or is this your theorised XI?

My guess.

If I was told the playing XI confidentially I wouldn't publish it.

 

[barah_admi]

Amla, Bavuma, De Kock

Amla may be on a slide he can not recover from, but we will see.

Is Bavuma ever in form?

De Kock has been out of form for longer than I've had teeth.

There is definite fragility in this current saffers side, up to Amir, Hasan, 3rd pace bowler to show it early and set up some tricky situations Shah can take advantage of.

 

[Zeeraq]

Standard Bank Proteas fast bowler, Dale Steyn, enters the first Castle Lager Test match against Pakistan at SuperSport Park on the cusp of becoming the most successful South African Test bowler. Steyn needs one wicket to go past Shaun Pollock’s record of 421 Test scalps, a record that has been standing since 2008.

Steyn’s statistics across his 14-year career are astounding; he has played 88 matches compared to the 108 by Pollock, and boasts a remarkable strike-rate of 42- the third-best of all bowlers in the world. He admits he has bigger goals than the looming milestone, and is rather focussed on putting in winning performances for the team at his home ground, where he boasts an excellent record of 56 wickets in nine matches played.

“I have a lot more wickets in me than just one more,” Steyn said at Centurion on Monday. “I haven’t saved myself just to take one more wicket than Polly (Pollock), there is a bigger goal at the end of the day. I do think it will be a beautiful thing to happen, if it happens,” he admitted. “It has taken a long time and these records are great things to achieve. I will be highly honoured but I will get back to my mark and try to take the next one.

“It’s just nice to have a red ball in my hand again,” he said. “Sri Lanka was tough conditions for the fast bowlers, but by the looks of things - the way the nets have been playing out in the middle- there is some spice. I am looking forward to getting out there and playing five competitive days of cricket.”

Injury has marred his progress over the last two years, but the 35-year-old gears up to lead the attack feeling fitter and more fired-up than ever. The injuries to Lungi Ngidi and Vernon Philander ahead of the opening match of the three-Test series gives Steyn and his fellow fast bowling team mate, Kagiso Rabada, added responsibility to lead from the front, but does not rule out the impact of the recalled in-form Duanne Olivier.

“The onus will be on your bigger players like KG (Rabada) and myself to lead the attack,” he explained. “Duanne (Olivier) has been bowling beautifully, he was the highest wicket-taker in the Mzansi Super League. In the four-day game he played the other days he got a few wickets and even got Faf out. If he slips under the radar and he comes up trumps with wickets and wins us the game I will not be complaining.”

Theunis de Bruyn has been passed fit for selection while Temba Bavuma will undergo a late fitness test on Tuesday morning.

 

[Mainul]

Shadab's injury isn't big deal as Yasir will play surely.
Abbas would have been the pick of the bowlers,his injury is the biggest blow.But it shouldn't be the excuse for a series loss I am saying it now

 

[aloo paratha]

8. Faheem
Amir
Hassan
Shaheen

Don't think Yasir will be successful in South Africa

 

[pratiktc]

Win the toss, bat first and scrape together 250 somehow. Anything else and Pak is going to get shellacked

 

[Plumb]

Amla may be on a slide he can not recover from, but we will see.

Is Bavuma ever in form?

De Kock has been out of form for longer than I've had teeth.

There is definite fragility in this current saffers side, up to Amir, Hasan, 3rd pace bowler to show it early and set up some tricky situations Shah can take advantage of.

Dont worry we 'll bring all of them back in form.... that's what we do best

 

[Amjid Javed]

Get feeling we will end up playing 5 batsmen, keeper, all rounder snd 4 bowlers. With our poor batting line up its asking for trouble.

 

[Arsalan Pro]

Sources reporting Pakistan will play all 5 of the remaining options with Faheem at 7.

 

[SLcric123]

Pakistan should go with

Fakhar
Imam
Azhar
Harris
Shafiq
Babar
Sarfaraz(wkt)
Yasir
Amir
Hasan
Shaheen

 

[Arsalan Pro]

Sarfraz in his press conference today has all but confirmed that Imam and Fakhar will open and Yasir will play regardless of the pitch.

 

[Ilustcricket]

Fakhar
Imam
Azhar
Harris
Shafiq
Babar
Sarfaraz(wkt)
Faheem
Yasir
Amir
Hasan

Based on the fact that we cannot drop Imam thanks to no Usman/Saad in the squad, I would play the above lineup. Both Haris and Azhar can bowl a few overs as support. Without Faheem our tail is too long. Had our batting been good enough i would have played Shaheen instead.

 

[a_tahir]

Can u state the sources?

 

[Mueez]

Sarfraz in his press conference today has all but confirmed that Imam and Fakhar will open and Yasir will play regardless of the pitch.

So basically, this will be the final lineup:

1) Imam ul Haq
2) Fakhar Zaman
3) Azhar Ali
4) Haris Sohail
5) Babar Azam
6) Asad Shafiq
7) Sarfraz Ahmed
8) Faheem Ashraf
9) Hasan Ali
10) Mohammad Amir
11) Yasir Shah

 

[Mueez]

So basically, this will be the final lineup:

1) Imam ul Haq
2) Fakhar Zaman
3) Azhar Ali
4) Haris Sohail
5) Babar Azam
6) Asad Shafiq
7) Sarfraz Ahmed
8) Faheem Ashraf
9) Hasan Ali
10) Mohammad Amir
11) Yasir Shah

If the coaching staff have any sense they will have to include Shaheen instead of Shafiq/ Faheem.

Otherwise no chance to win this one...

 

[AFM]

Can u state the sources?

[MENTION=9]Saj[/MENTION] is the most reputable source you can have

 

[a_tahir]

But that's his prediction.
That is not the confirmed team

 

[Deewana Mastana]

Knew it from before that Abbas and Shadab won't be fit for the first test.

Pakistan's fitness levels aren't upto mark yet where the rest of the internationals are at and some tend to take longer than others to regain full fitness.

 

[pratiktc]

There is no way Faheem will play in a 4 man attack...even Sarfaraz is not that foolhardy. It will be SSA in his place

 

[Oligochaetes]

There is no way Faheem will play in a 4 man attack...even Sarfaraz is not that foolhardy. It will be SSA in his place

So is this the most likely team?

Imam Ul Haq
Fakhar Zaman
Azhar Ali
Haris Sohail
Asad Shafiq
Babar Azam
Sarfraz Ahmed(C)(Wk)
Mohammad Amir
Yasir Shah
Hasan Ali
Shaheen Afridi

 

[Arsalan Pro]

So basically, this will be the final lineup:

1) Imam ul Haq
2) Fakhar Zaman
3) Azhar Ali
4) Haris Sohail
5) Babar Azam
6) Asad Shafiq
7) Sarfraz Ahmed
8) Faheem Ashraf
9) Hasan Ali
10) Mohammad Amir
11) Yasir Shah

Faheem has very little chance of playing now.

Team will be:

Imam Ul Haq
Fakhar Zaman
Azhar Ali
Haris Sohail
Asad Shafiq
Babar Azam
Sarfraz Ahmed(C)(WK)
Mohammad Amir
Yasir Shah
Hasan Ali
Shaheen Afridi

 

[ILcricket]

Hosts taking a huge risk going in with 4 man attack which has Steyn who has often in recent past not lasted a full Test .
According to cricbuzz pitch is spicy for pace bowlers while cricinfo thinks there could be something for spinners too .
Weather is hot on first 2 days , thunderstorms on day 3 & 4 & perhaps rain on day 5 .
If SAF win toss they will bat first but will Sarfaraz too do the same ?

 

[Arsalan Pro]

Hosts taking a huge risk going in with 4 man attack which has Steyn who has often in recent past not lasted a full Test .
According to cricbuzz pitch is spicy for pace bowlers while cricinfo thinks there could be something for spinners too .
Weather is hot on first 2 days , thunderstorms on day 3 & 4 & perhaps rain on day 5 .
If SAF win toss they will bat first but will Sarfaraz too do the same ?

Sarfraz has already said that he will bat first.

 

[Amjid Javed]

Just be competitive.

Try to get 250 on the board.

We will be lucky if we get 250 even once during series with our batting

 

[ILcricket]

Sarfraz has already said that he will bat first.

That is the right decision . If visitors can get around 300 , they should fancy their chances .

 

[yasir]

what! they are playing with 6+4, not evening playing Faheem??

I guess they don’t have confident in Faheem to play as 3rd seamer. It will be either both Shadab or Faheem or non...

This is very weak batting lineup. If I were SA, I would go green and bowled them out under 100/130 and nailed them.... Same terrible mistake by our think tank

 

[ILcricket]

If SAF bat first , how many runs do you expect them to score ? 350 or more ?

 

[Pete Rose]

If SAF bat first , how many runs do you expect them to score ? 350 or more ?

I don’t think so. We have held a stronger South African team to about 250 the last time we faced them in a series opener here.

 

[Greenstorm]

Playing only 3 pacers in SA can be risky. Faheem should play.

 

[ILcricket]

I don’t think so. We have held a stronger South African team to about 250 the last time we faced them in a series opener here.

if the track is juicy , the 1st mistake Asian pacers do is get excited & bowl all over the place trying to get a wicket every ball . Disciplined bowling is the key .

 

[Amjid Javed]

Our seam bowlers need to step up and do a job tomorrow, conditions should help so there should be no excuses. The batting is a worry as always and seeing how we folded in UAE god knows how bad we will be here.

 

[Hasan123]

Azhar at 3 won't work. You need a dynamic player at 3. Also I would prefer Fakhar to bat in the middle order in tests as he will be better against the older ball and against spin.

I would start Shaeen over Faheem. Faheem has a lot to improve in his batting and his bowling is improving but South Africa will be confident of scoring against him. Shaheen in these conditions could be deadly. He could run through SA. Faheem won't run through SA and he won't score enough runs.

I would go with this line up

Azhar
Imam ( no other choices, if Shan is selected I won't complain due to lack of options)
Babar
Haris
Asad
Fakhar
Sarfraz
Yasir
Hasan
Amir
Shaheen

 

[yasir]

Playing only 3 pacers in SA can be risky. Faheem should play.

Injury to Shadab screwed up combination significantly... Pakistan think tank does not have confidence of playing Faheem as third seamer, they will play both Shadab and Faheem or non...

Ideally Pakistan would have wanted Faheem, Shadab for Yasir + Imam, it gives both better batting and bowling depth...5 bowlers and extra depth in batting.

With Shadab injured they are going for two specialist, rather than two allrounders

 

[Junaids]

Terrible error if they only play three quicks Plus Yasir Shah.

Faheem is obviously a poorer bowler, but every over he bowls:

1. Gives the guy at the other end an extra minute between overs compared with Yasir Shah.

2. Allows Mohammad Amir, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Hasan Ali to bowl 15 overs per day instead of 20. That allows them to bowl quicker while conserving more energy and sharpness.

I absolutely hate the idea of a sixth batsman instead of Faheem Ashraf. Let Azhar open instead. After all, I’d bet good money that Faheem Ashraf would score more runs than Imam or Shan Masood.

And in these conditions, if I had to have a sixth batter I’d want Umar Akmal at 6 to score 80 from 80/4 to get the team up to 250 all out.

 

[MenInG]

Pakistan travel away from the comforts of the United Arab Emirates to take on South Africa, who will be keen to grab the opportunity to ascend to No.2 in the MRF Tyres ICC Test Team Rankings.

South Africa go into their series against Pakistan knowing that a 2-0 victory in the three Tests will help them claim the No.2 spot on the Test rankings, going ahead of England by decimal points.

Should they sweep the series 3-0 and India lose their remaining two Tests against Australia, South Africa will be just a point behind top-ranked India.

Apart from the milestones the team will be vying for, there is a special individual record waiting for Dale Steyn. The pacer, with 421 Test scalps, is tied with Shaun Pollock as South Africa's leading wicket-taker in Tests. Recurrent injuries and prolonged hiatuses have kept him on the fringes of the sport over the last three seasons, and the long-awaited record has turned into a bogey.

With Vernon Philander and Lungi Ngidi out with injury, Steyn will be at the forefront of the Proteas pace battery. The experienced campaigner will be gunning to reach the magical figure, to reaffirm his position as one of the greatest cricketers produced by South Africa.

Kagiso Rabada, No.1 on the MRF Tyres ICC Test Rankings for Bowling, will spearhead the home attack alongside Steyn. The seamer, with his pace, will be the most difficult-to-parry bowler for the visiting batsmen.

Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock and Dean Elgar, along with skipper Faf du Plessis, bring experience and solidarity to the South African batting line-up. Newcomer Theunis de Bruyn, who had a fruitful tour of Sri Lanka, will be keen to follow up on his hundred in Asia with a strong performance at home. Underperforming batters like Aiden Markram and Temba Bavuma will also look to regain their form in conducive conditions.

Pakistan, on the other hand, will look to bounce back after the setback against New Zealand in the Test series in UAE. Sarfraz Ahmed and his team, who were almost invincible in their adopted fortress, were beaten 2-1 by an inspired effort from Kane Williamson's Black Caps.

Mohammad Abbas, the spearhead of their pace battery, has been ruled out of the Boxing Day Test with a shoulder injury. Right-arm quick Hasan Ali, teenage starlet Shaheen Afridi and veteran Mohammad Amir will take up the seam bowling mantle.

Yasir Shah, out of his comfort zone on the pace-friendly pitch at Centurion, will still be an integral member of the visitors' bowling arsenal. The batting unit will rely heavily on the likes of Haris Sohail, Babar Azam and Asad Shafiq, Pakistan's leading run-scorers in Tests this year.

Ahmed's captaincy will come under scrutiny in the testing away series, and the playing XI he chooses as well as the bowling changes he makes will be dissected. He passed his first Test on the tour, though, winning the tour game against South African Invitation XI with a six-wicket margin.

Key players

Babar Azam (Pakistan): With his solid technique and consistent returns with the willow, Azam has quickly established himself as the mainstay of Pakistan's wobbly batting unit. In 2018, the right-hander has amassed 539 runs in seven innings at an impressive average of 59.88. The 24-year-old, though talented, has just one Test hundred to his name so far – a stat he will want to improve ahead of the Centurion Test.

Kagiso Rabada (South Africa): Rabada, who boasts of the best bowling average (20.39) among the top five wicket-takers in Tests in 2018, has claimed 46 scalps in just 18 innings. The 23-year-old pacer has 268 international wickets to his name already, and has given memorable performances in his still nascent career.

https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/954247

 

[ILcricket]

I still think hosts are making a grave mistake opting for 4 man attack which has a injury prone Steyn in it .

 

[Greenstorm]

Injury to Shadab screwed up combination significantly... Pakistan think tank does not have confidence of playing Faheem as third seamer, they will play both Shadab and Faheem or non...

Ideally Pakistan would have wanted Faheem, Shadab for Yasir + Imam, it gives both better batting and bowling depth...5 bowlers and extra depth in batting.

With Shadab injured they are going for two specialist, rather than two allrounders

Yes 5+2+3 would have been an ideal combination but now after Shadab's injury, we should still play Faheem instead of Imam. Faheem will score more than Imam anyway as he is better equipped to play pace and bounce due to his strong back foot play.

 

[JattMaula]

Pakistan travel away from the comforts of the United Arab Emirates to take on South Africa, who will be keen to grab the opportunity to ascend to No.2 in the MRF Tyres ICC Test Team Rankings.

South Africa go into their series against Pakistan knowing that a 2-0 victory in the three Tests will help them claim the No.2 spot on the Test rankings, going ahead of England by decimal points.

Should they sweep the series 3-0 and India lose their remaining two Tests against Australia, South Africa will be just a point behind top-ranked India.

Apart from the milestones the team will be vying for, there is a special individual record waiting for Dale Steyn. The pacer, with 421 Test scalps, is tied with Shaun Pollock as South Africa's leading wicket-taker in Tests. Recurrent injuries and prolonged hiatuses have kept him on the fringes of the sport over the last three seasons, and the long-awaited record has turned into a bogey.

With Vernon Philander and Lungi Ngidi out with injury, Steyn will be at the forefront of the Proteas pace battery. The experienced campaigner will be gunning to reach the magical figure, to reaffirm his position as one of the greatest cricketers produced by South Africa.

Kagiso Rabada, No.1 on the MRF Tyres ICC Test Rankings for Bowling, will spearhead the home attack alongside Steyn. The seamer, with his pace, will be the most difficult-to-parry bowler for the visiting batsmen.

Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock and Dean Elgar, along with skipper Faf du Plessis, bring experience and solidarity to the South African batting line-up. Newcomer Theunis de Bruyn, who had a fruitful tour of Sri Lanka, will be keen to follow up on his hundred in Asia with a strong performance at home. Underperforming batters like Aiden Markram and Temba Bavuma will also look to regain their form in conducive conditions.

Pakistan, on the other hand, will look to bounce back after the setback against New Zealand in the Test series in UAE. Sarfraz Ahmed and his team, who were almost invincible in their adopted fortress, were beaten 2-1 by an inspired effort from Kane Williamson's Black Caps.

Mohammad Abbas, the spearhead of their pace battery, has been ruled out of the Boxing Day Test with a shoulder injury. Right-arm quick Hasan Ali, teenage starlet Shaheen Afridi and veteran Mohammad Amir will take up the seam bowling mantle.

Yasir Shah, out of his comfort zone on the pace-friendly pitch at Centurion, will still be an integral member of the visitors' bowling arsenal. The batting unit will rely heavily on the likes of Haris Sohail, Babar Azam and Asad Shafiq, Pakistan's leading run-scorers in Tests this year.

Ahmed's captaincy will come under scrutiny in the testing away series, and the playing XI he chooses as well as the bowling changes he makes will be dissected. He passed his first Test on the tour, though, winning the tour game against South African Invitation XI with a six-wicket margin.

Key players

Babar Azam (Pakistan): With his solid technique and consistent returns with the willow, Azam has quickly established himself as the mainstay of Pakistan's wobbly batting unit. In 2018, the right-hander has amassed 539 runs in seven innings at an impressive average of 59.88. The 24-year-old, though talented, has just one Test hundred to his name so far – a stat he will want to improve ahead of the Centurion Test.

Kagiso Rabada (South Africa): Rabada, who boasts of the best bowling average (20.39) among the top five wicket-takers in Tests in 2018, has claimed 46 scalps in just 18 innings. The 23-year-old pacer has 268 international wickets to his name already, and has given memorable performances in his still nascent career.

https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/954247

"Comforts of the United Arab Emirates"?

Don't think Pakistan team is very comfortable in UAE now a days.

 

[Ab Fan]

Steyn, Rabada and Olivier is the pace bowling attack SA will field tomorrow.

Given it is a four man attack with Steyn being injury prone, this is comparatively an easier start of test for Pakistani batsmen.

Rabada, obviously the biggest threat but if and a big "if" Steyn gets going, he will be enough for a lineup whose best batsmen is a guy who averages 44 after 70 tests at a Strike Rate of 41.

Things can be different if say, Fakhar succeeds in taking an early assault over this bowling attack.

 

[ILcricket]

Steyn, Rabada and Olivier is the pace bowling attack SA will field tomorrow.

Given it is a four man attack with Steyn being injury prone, this is comparatively an easier start of test for Pakistani batsmen.

Rabada, obviously the biggest threat but if and a big "if" Steyn gets going, he will be enough for a lineup whose best batsmen is a guy who averages 44 after 70 tests at a Strike Rate of 41.

Things can be different if say, Fakhar succeeds in taking an early assault over this bowling attack.

SAF is making a big mistake .
I think with bad weather around on last 3 days & hosts depleted & playing safe , visitors can escape unscathed here .

 

[Ab Fan]

SAF is making a big mistake .
I think with bad weather around on last 3 days & hosts depleted & playing safe , visitors can escape unscathed here .

The batting is the weakest in last many years, so can't afford to weaken it further.

Hosts are strong on this ground and with Rabada, Steyn, Oliver and Maharaj, it is still a strong bowling, albeit Steyn needs to stay away from injuries. Philander is a huge miss.

Expect de Bruyn and Dean Elgar to do some bowling as well.