South Africa tour of Pakistan (2 Tests, 3 T20I's)

[eth-dog]

So this starts in 2 days with the tests on first. South Africa have a 21 player test squad, but surprisingly have only taken the solitary back up spinner, assuming they go with Maharaj in tandem with either Linde (another left arm orthodox) or Shamsi (left arm wrist spin) and Wiaan Mulder to be the 3rd seamer. Expecting their line-ups to be somewhat like:

Pakistan:

Imran Butt
Abid Ali
Azhar Ali
Babar Azam (c)
Saud Shakeel
Mohammed Rizwan (+)
Faheem Ashraf
Hasan Ali
Yasir Shah
Sajid Khan
Shaheen Shah Afridi

South Africa:

Dean Elgar
Aiden Markram
Rassie van der Dussen
Faf du Plessis
Quinto de Kock (c, +)
Keegan Petersen
Wiaan Mulder
George Linde
Keshav Maharaj
Kagiso Rabada
Lungi Ngidi

 

[shoaibakhtar]

Pakistan:

Imran Butt
Abid Ali
Azhar Ali
Babar Azam (c)
Saud Shakeel
Mohammed Rizwan (+)
Faheem Ashraf
Hasan Ali
Yasir Shah
Sajid Khan
Shaheen Shah Afridi

Pretty much, yeah.

Although I doubt that we'll have a spin-heavy attack (or even pitches for that matter) like most Asian countries do. Karachi is a road, and Rawalpindi is a fast-bowler's wicket. Won't be surprised at all if spinners from either side underperform massively.

 

[eth-dog]

Pretty much, yeah.

Although I doubt that we'll have a spin-heavy attack (or even pitches for that matter) like most Asian countries do. Karachi is a road, and Rawalpindi is a fast-bowler's wicket. Won't be surprised at all if spinners from either side underperform massively.

Forgive me, I don't think I've ever seen a match in Pakistan. Fair enough

 

[shoaibakhtar]

Forgive me, I don't think I've ever seen a match in Pakistan. Fair enough

Lol, neither had I until 2019.

Legitimately, Sri Lanka playing a Test match in 2019 was the first Test I saw in Pakistan in my entire life. Before that, the last Test played in Pakistan was in 2009, and I was a 9-year old who was not a cricket fan then.

 

[ioppolo]

Outside of Rabada and Ngidi, that's an uninspired bowling attack.

 

[PhatBoy]

Outside of Rabada and Ngidi, that's an uninspired bowling attack.

Mulder was quite impressive during the Sri Lanka series albeit against ordinary opposition

 

[Carbine Chaos]

Why would Nortje not be playing?

 

[PhatBoy]

Why would Nortje not be playing?

Good point. And could be a real trump card given his ability to smash into a pitch

 

[eth-dog]

Why would Nortje not be playing?

I was picking only 3 seamers and 2 spinners. My internal debate was between picking Mulder at 7 and leaving Nortje out or Linde batting a touch too high. Depends on what you want, but I really rate Nortje too

 

[Belnakor]

Can i just say i'm legit amazed we have test cricket back in Pakistan

 

[shoaibakhtar]

Can't wait for tomorrow. This is so exciting.

 

[Browney2006]

Assuming there is no coverage of this in Aus?

 

[Cleavy]

Assuming there is no coverage of this in Aus?

doesn't appear to be. live coverage of Abu Dhabi T10 is far more important!

 

[melanChronic]

Kayo not showing this one either? What a joke. I guess it's a good thing if Rupert's grip is slipping off content.

 

[Park cricketer]

Kayo not showing this one either? What a joke. I guess it's a good thing if Rupert's grip is slipping off content.

 

[The Passenger]

Surprised Mulder was left out? Late injury?

Can't find anything on Google or Cricinfo.

 

[PhatBoy]

Dig in SA come on

 

[eth-dog]

Surprised Mulder was left out? Late injury?

Can't find anything on Google or Cricinfo.

I guess they preferred Nortje to him.

 

[Buzzasto DaSilva]

Amazing to have cricket in Pakistan. Wish I was there to see it live.​

 

[eth-dog]

Amazing to have cricket in Pakistan. Wish I was there to see it live.​

As good as it it, I'm happy enough not to watch

 

[Buzzasto DaSilva]

As good as it it, I'm happy enough not to watch

Why not?

 

[eth-dog]

Why not?

Live I meant, at the ground. Very troubled place.

 

[t_94]

Pakistan with another random mid 30s spinner debutant. I would love to be a fly on the wall at their selection committee meetings.

 

[PhatBoy]

I’m never seen a nations cricket suffer such a long term residual effect from one series as I have with SA since that Indian series 5 years ago. They were great players of spin in general before that series and had no fear of Asia now regardless of pitches or opposition attack they just go to water over there

 

[The Passenger]

Pakistan with another random mid 30s spinner debutant. I would love to be a fly on the wall at their selection committee meetings.

They've recently streamlined their first class system down to 6 regional teams, which in theory should start to see more consistency in their national team selection. I'm not sure it will last because they've cut all departmental teams which left a lot of cricketers without an income, and I believe wages from regional teams are not as good.

It can't have helped their cause that their FC system had such wild swings between the numbers of teams one season to the next - in this century alone they've gone from 24 teams to 9 (02/03 to 03/04), 7 to 22 (06/07 to 07/08), 22 to 14 (11/12 to 12/13), 14 to 26 (13/14 to 14/15), 26 to 16 (14/15 to 15/16) and 16 to 6 (18/19 to 19/20). How do you gauge the relative strength of your competition and the performances within when that is happening?