The South African cricket squad, already in a buoyant mood after Sunday’s crushing seven-wicket victory in the fifth and deciding one-day international over Pakistan in Rawalpindi, received another boost on Monday when the country’s most experienced player, Gary Kirsten, arrived in Lahore to link up with the squad for the two Test matches.
The prolific left-hander was at the team hotel to welcome his teammates, having arrived from South Africa in the early hours of Monday morning.
”It was rather strange to be driven through the completely deserted streets of Lahore at 3am with a police escort,” said a smiling Kirsten. He replaces his Western Province teammate Alan Dawson, who was only selected for the ODI series. Dawson left the squad on Monday morning.
Kirsten brings a wealth of experience to the squad with 6 595 runs at 42,61, and 18 centuries to his name in 93 Test matches. One of those centuries came in the third and deciding Test in Faisalabad in 1997.
”I am looking forward to the challenges that lie ahead in the two Tests,” he said, ”although I must say, I never thought I would be back here again.”
The 35-year-old put a decision to retire on hold after a highly successful tour of England in the winter, during which he scored two hundreds, the second of which was a superb man-of-the-match performance in the fourth Test at Headingley.
Kirsten has been hard at work in pre-season nets with Western Province, but has had just three innings in the last couple of weeks.
”I made a second top score of six for my club Claremont last weekend as we were bowled out for 49.
”I then made one and 41 for Province in a pre-season friendly against Boland last week,” Kirsten said.
Coach Eric Simons was delighted to see Kirsten.
”It’s good to have the old man back,” he said. ”Gary brings a reassuring presence to any team he plays in. He is a pivotal member of our Test team.”
After playing five ODI matches in 10 days in three different cities, the squad had Monday off and will have an optional training session on Tuesday.
The first Test starts at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Friday. — Sapa