Fresh from their stunning comeback from one-nil down to a series victory against India, South Africa take on Pakistan in a three-Test series starting at SuperSport Park on Thursday.
Proteas coach Mickey Arthur predicts a very tough series against Pakistan, who are ranked third in the world in Test cricket.
”Pakistan are a hugely dangerous side,” Arthur said on Wednesday. ”We have huge respect for Pakistan. They come here having played quite well of late, and we are going to have to be right up on our disciplines to counter them. They have a better bowling attack than India brought out, so we’re going to have to be on top of our game to beat them.”
Arthur said it had been difficult, after the euphoria of the series win against India, to get mentally geared up for the series against Pakistan.
”Having come out of what turned out to be a very demanding and stressful couple of Tests against India, the guys need to be on top of their game mentally. So we’ve had low-intensity training sessions, and it’s all about preparing mentally.”
Arthur said the South Africans had studied video footage of the Pakistan players, and had their game plans in hand.
”Their two openers did very well in their warm-up match in Kimberley, but we have analysed them, and we have picked up where we can maybe get at them. I think the openers will be under some pressure. I wouldn’t think they’d want Younis Khan and Inzamam Ul-Haq in too early against the new ball.”
However, Arthur stressed that it was not enough to analyse and strategise.
”Execution will be the key,” he said. ”What we are looking for is for our top six batsmen all to fire and to set up formidable totals. That is the way to win Test matches. We need big first-innings totals, and we have confidence in our bowling attack to take 20 wickets.”
Fast bowler Dale Steyn will definitely not play in the first Test, as he is still recovering from a quadriceps injury, which was exacerbated during the third Test against India in Cape Town.
Andre Nel, who sat out the third Test with a foot injury, is expected to be fit, but Morne Morkel is on standby in case he is needed.
Arthur said the final eleven would be decided on Thursday morning, once it was known what the pitch was like.
”Depending on what sort of pitch it is, we’ll decide whether to go with an extra spinner or a seamer,” he said.
Jacques Rudolph has been released to play for his franchise, the Diamond Eagles, against the Dolphins this weekend.
Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer predicted a very tough series.
”South Africa have come off a very good series win, and we have had very little time to prepare for the Tests. We’ll have to play to the best of our ability to beat South Africa, but the boys are up for it,” he said.
Pakistan have been struck by a number of injuries and enforced absences.
Mohammed Yousuf, who was the leading run scorer in world cricket last year, has stayed in Pakistan to be with his wife for the birth of their baby and will only arrive in time for the third Test.
Umar Gul will miss the first Test because of injury.
Shoaib Malik, who has an ankle injury, will be out of cricket for two weeks and a decision has not yet been made on whether to replace him, while Shoaib Akhtar will not arrive in South Africa until Friday.
”Being without a player like Mohammed Yousuf is immense,” said Woolmer.
”He’s been scoring 200 runs in a match, and that’s 200 runs we’ll have to make up. When you miss someone of Yousuf’s stature, you miss them, but the other six batsmen will have to do the work.” — Sapa
Squads:
South Africa: (from) Graeme Smith (captain), Paul Adams, Hashim Amla, Mark Boucher, AB de Villiers, Herschelle Gibbs, Andrew Hall, Paul Harris, Jacques Kallis, Morne Morkel, Andre Nel, Makhaya
Ntini, Shaun Pollock, Ashwell Prince.
Pakistan: (from) Inzamam-ul-Haq (captain), Younis Khan, Asim Kamal, Yasir Hameed, Danish Kaneria, Faisal Iqbal, Imran Farhat, Kamran Akmal, Mohammad Asif, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Sami, Naved-ul-Hasan, Shahid Nazir, Zulqarnain Haider, Shaoib Malik.