Test cricket returns to Pakistan for the first time since February, as the men in green lock horns against the reigning test champions, South Africa at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore for the 1st test.
The West Indies were the last team to tour Pakistan for a couple of Test matches in February, which ended in a 1-1 draw in Multan. But South Africa poses a whole different challenge as they begin their World Test Championship defence against Pakistan.
Pakistan Preview for the 1st Test in Lahore
Gaddafi Stadium last hosted a test match in March 2022 when the Pat Cummins-led Australian team won the only match to clinch the series 1-0. It was a long time before Pakistan finally discovered the recipe for winning test matches at home under Shan Masood, and that is, by preparing rank turners.
Sajid Khan and Noman Ali, the wreckers in chief, took 39 out of 40 wickets against England and also caused damage to the West Indies side who toured the nation at the start of the year.
The duo returns to the side as Abrar Ahmed joins them, while 38-year-old Asif Afridi earns his spot for his strong first-class performances, though some argue the reward came a little too late.
Khurram Shehzad, Hasan Ali, and Shaheen Afridi – who returns to the side after strong showings in the T20 format – form the pace trio for the men in green for this series.
An exclusion which may have raised eyebrows was Mohammad Abbas’. The pacer has been a regular name on the county front and almost single-handedly scripted a Pakistan victory in Centurion earlier this year.
On the batting front, the Test regulars keep their spots in the side, with no major surprises expected in the playing eleven.
Saim Ayub lost his place in the Test squad after disappointing performances with the bat in T20s, making way for the returning Imam-ul-Haq.
However, as always, all eyes will be on Pakistan’s premier batter, Babar Azam, who has struggled to find form in Tests over the past year and continues his pursuit of a long-awaited 32nd international century.
The 30-year-old is also just 2 runs away from becoming the first Asian batsman in World Test Championship history to complete 3,000 runs, accompanied by 8 centuries and 18 fifties at an average of 48.35 – and will look to complete this record in the 1st test in Lahore.
Saud Shakeel is the only Pakistani batter to average 50 since the inception of the WTC, and he has cemented his place as the lynchpin of the team’s middle order, alongside Babar, Rizwan, and Salman Agha.
Speaking of Salman Agha, the current T20 captain has been under intense scrutiny for his exploits in the shortest format of the game, but make no mistake, the 31-year-old has been a regular performer in test cricket since his debut.
South Africa preview for the 1st Test in Lahore
It’s been four months since the South African side clinched the prestigious WTC title against the mighty Australians at the home of cricket.
From the lineup that took the field at Lord’s, Temba Bavuma has been ruled out of the series due to a calf injury, Keshav Maharaj is set to return for the second Test in Rawalpindi, and Lungi Ngidi was considered unsuitable for the conditions.
To prepare for Pakistan’s challenging spin-friendly pitches, the reigning champions trained on specially prepared turning tracks at the High-Performance Centre in Pretoria.
In Bavuma’s absence, it will be Aiden Markram leading the team, who has proven to be an important cog in the batting lineup. Accompanied by Ryan Rickleton – who scored a double century in Cape Town against Pakistan – Tristan Stubbs and Wiaan Mulder, it makes for a competent top order to deal with the Asian spinners.
To take advantage of the tweaking conditions in Lahore, South Africa has some tricks up its sleeves as well. Off-spinner Simon Harmer returns to South Africa colours for the first time since March 2023. Two more finger-spinners that make for their spin trio are Senuran Muthusamy and Prenelan Subrayen.
The Markram-led side know how to take advantage of such conditions, like they did when touring Bangladesh in October last year – hence posing a similar threat for the Pakistani batters as well who are not known to deal with spinners at their will.
Kagiso Rabada, Marco Jansen form a formidable pace duo who know how to cause damage even when the conditions are not in their favour. With Mulder and pace-all-rounder Corbin Bosch in the squad, it is fair to say that the defending champions have all their bases covered for the 1st test in Lahore.
Predicted Lineup for the 1st Test in Lahore
Pakistan: Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Shan Masood (c), Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Salman Agha, Shaheen Afridi, Khurram Shehzad, Noman Ali, Sajid Khan
South Africa: Aiden Markram (c), Ryan Rickleton, Wiaan Mulder, Tristan Stubbs, David Bedingham, Kyle Verreynne (wk), Corbin Bosch, Marco Jansen, Kagiso Rabada, Simon Harmer, Senuran Muthusamy
