South Africa v Pakistan Official Tour Thread

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South Africa play Pakistan in their first test series since February. We are the undisputed number 1 side in the world and will remain so irrespective of the series result, however, Smith and the boys will want to keep their unbeaten away record that stretches as far back as 2006 Sri Lanka in tact.

So what can we expect from this series?

Pitch conditions:The pitches will undoubtedly favor Spinners. I expect the ball to turn from Day 1 and to only get worse. This will make winning the toss crucial as you wouldn't want to bat last on these pitches. The Heat will also be a factor and will test the fitness of bowlers as well as the concentration of batsman.

Team info:
Pakistan

Pakistan have in their ranks 2 of the best spinners in Ajmal and Rehman. They will be expected to lead Pakistan's bowling attack with the seamers providing back up support. Pakistan's batting is a worry as they are prone to colapse and don't have the appetite or technique to bat long periods. Their recent struggles against Zimbabwe only furthers to highlight this area for them.


South Africa

With Smith returning from injury and a stable squad, I expect little changes to the team. Steyn, Philander and Morkel might struggle with the conditions as they are far from ideal for pace bowling. Peterson or Tahir will have to play a key role and he will be supported with Duminy's underrated off spinners. South Africa might feel a bit rusty having not played competitive test cricket in over 5 months but you would expect the preparation for the series to be addressing these issues.

South African test squad:
Graeme Smith, Hashim Amla, AB De Villiers, Jean Paul Duminy, Faf Du Plessis, Dean Elgar, Imran Tahir, Jacques Kallis, Rory Kleinveldt, Morne Morkel, Alviro Petersen, Robin Peterson, Vernon Philander, Dale Steyn, Thami Tsolekile.

South African ODI squad:
AB de Villiers, Hashim Amla, Quiton de Kock, JP Duminy, Faf Du Plessis, Imran Tahir, Ryan Mclaren, David Miller, Morne Morkel, Wayne Parnell, Robin Peterson, Vernon Philander, Greame Smith, Dale Steyn, Lonwabo Tsotsobe

Pakistan squad:
Misbah-Ul-Haq (captain), Khurram Mansour, Azhar Ali, Younis Khan, Umar Amin, Adnan Akmal, Saeed Ajmal, Zulfiqar Babar, Abdul Rehman, Junaid Khan, Mohammad Irfan, Rahat Ali.

Tour Match

Tue Oct 8 - Thu Oct 10
06:00 GMT | 10:00 local
08:00 SAST Pakistan A v South Africans
Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium

Test Series

1st Test

Mon Oct 14 - Fri Oct 18
06:00 GMT | 10:00 local
08:00 SAST 1st Test - South Africa v Pakistan
Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi

2nd Test

Wed Oct 23 - Sun Oct 27
06:00 GMT | 10:00 local
08:00 SAST 2nd Test - South Africa v Pakistan
Dubai International Cricket Stadium

ODI Series

1st ODI

Wed Oct 30
11:00 GMT | 15:00 local
13:00 SAST 1st ODI - South Africa v Pakistan
Sharjah Cricket Stadium

2nd ODI

Fri Nov 1
11:00 GMT | 15:00 local
13:00 SAST 2nd ODI - South Africa v Pakistan
Dubai International Cricket Stadium

3rd ODI

Wed Nov 6
11:00 GMT | 15:00 local
13:00 SAST 3rd ODI - South Africa v Pakistan
Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi

4th ODI

Fri Nov 8
11:00 GMT | 15:00 local
13:00 SAST 4th ODI - South Africa v Pakistan
Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi

5th ODI

Mon Nov 11
11:00 GMT | 15:00 local
13:00 SAST 5th ODI - South Africa v Pakistan
Sharjah Cricket Stadium

T20 Series

1st T20

Wed Nov 13
16:00 GMT | 20:00 local
18:00 SAST 1st T20I - South Africa v Pakistan
Dubai International Cricket Stadium

2nd T20

Fri Nov 15
16:00 GMT | 20:00 local
18:00 SAST 2nd T20I - South Africa v Pakistan
Dubai International Cricket Stadium

 

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Pitches and heat a test for SA seamers - Donald

When Allan Donald was last in the UAE, Dubai did not have a single building in the top 50 skyscrapers in the world. It also did not have a metro service, nor did it host international cricket. In 1996, Sharjah was where it all happened.

Donald was a member of the touring squad that played in the Pepsi Cup that year. He was not included in the starting XI for any of the matches so it's hardly a surprise he does not seem to remember much about the place. Instead, it makes him think of somewhere else, where he played two Tests in 1997 and where he gained experience that will come in handy for South Africa's bowlers on this tour.

"The pitches here remind me a lot of the wickets when we played in Pakistan," he said. And there, he recalls, things were not easy for fast men. "As a quick bowler. when times are tough, you have to very imaginative and you've got to be gutsy, Most importantly, the ball has to reverse."

For that reason, Donald, South Africa's bowling coach, believes South Africa will rely on Dale Steyn even more than usual. "There is no one better than him when there is an end open and when he steps up and changes gears. There is no-one better at running through a team than he is," Donald said.

When Steyn last played for South Africa, he endured an injury-riddled time at Champions Trophy in June but has since recovered from five lingering issues. Like many of the players who've had a break, Donald said the time off will have reinvigorated Steyn and made him even more determined. "He is as fresh as I have seen him. He has dealt with his niggles. He is absolutely raring to go," he said. "He is very eager and hungry to make a big impact on this series," Donald said.

With conditions set to provide a challenge to the seamers, Donald still believes the pace barrage, led by Steyn, can have an effect if they stick to a few basic principles. "The new ball will be massive," he said. "When we played in Pakistan, Bob Woolmer taught us that the best chance of getting wickets was upfront because the ball scuffs up a lot quicker so we had to make batsmen play a lot more in the first 20 overs," he said. "We have to figure out how to put a dent in the top order."

South Africa will approach Pakistan with aggression, not just upfront, but throughout the innings. "Lines have got to be straighter, we've got to hit the pitch really hard, bowl a bit fuller than normal and be prepared to sacrifice a few runs. You have to be smart because this is not a place where you can bowl back of length and expect results," he said. "Patience and discipline will be key."

Donald expects South Africa's bowlers to do all of that in temperatures that will soar close to 40 degrees while they are in the field, and he realises it is a big ask. "The extreme heat is going to be testing for us in our fitness and endurance," he admitted. "But there are no excuses. We know what standards we set for ourselves as No.1.team and if we have a bad session, there will be no blaming the conditions and the pitches."

That means the South African bowlers' biggest battle, although it would appear to be physical, is actually going to be mental. "This is the one series which will really test us as a unit because the mental intensity is going to be a big thing," Donald said.

In preparation, South Africa held a meeting on Sunday afternoon to discuss the importance of being psychologically strong enough. "We can't afford not hitting the ground running. Yesterday, Graeme and Russell [Domingo] chatted about how important it is that we don't play catch up cricket."

South Africa have been slow starters in the past but they have managed not to let it trip them up recently. In England, they appeared lethargic on day one of the Oval Test last year before going on to win the match and the series. Australia wore the bowlers down for the better parts of the Brisbane Test in November last year and if not for a day lost to rain, may have been able to win the match but it was South Africa who triumphed at the end of the series in Perth.

Gary Kirsten helped them understand that even if a session does not go their way, the possibility to go for the kill could still remain. Donald said the coach Domingo has continued to enforce the same ideas.

"We spoke about the team culture yesterday and what it means to the players," he said. "The guys have really taken to Russell in a short space of time. For us it's business as usual." And to enforce that motto, Donald need only refer to the country the team is in, where, 17 years since he was last here, business is the driving force behind all the changes he continues to marvel at.

Source

 

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Duminy prepares for more spin responsibilities

JP Duminy will not be drawn into discussing in detail exactly how he felt when the back of his ankle popped, as he described it last November in Brisbane, rupturing his Achilles' and condemning him to six months on the sidelines. But it must have been some shade of disappointment, especially considering the stage of his career he was in.

His replacement for the remainder of that series against Australia, Faf du Plessis, remembered Duminy being in "peak condition," at the time and predicted he would play a crucial role in the contest. Du Plessis' assessment was based on Duminy's form over the previous nine months - he scored a century on his comeback against New Zealand and an important 60 in South Africa's mace-winning victory over England at Lord's - and the increased responsibility the management team were about to give him.

In last November's Australia series, Duminy was due to graduate from a part-time bowler into a more important part of the attack. He was picked as the sole spinner in the Test he took no part in. It's been 11 months since then and South Africa have been given a second opportunity to see whether that strategy could work.

Russell Domingo, the coach, confirmed Duminy will slot back into the starting XI and that his bowling is one of the reasons for that. In conditions which are certain to offer something to the spinners and with a team make-up that seems uncertain to deviate from its seven batsmen-three seamer strategy, Duminy will have to play the role of the second spinner.

He seems to have identified that as being a job that will require holding up an end. "Consistency in my length is key to my bowling performance so that's what I am going to keep working on," he said. "There's a lot of responsibility that goes with bowling more. I am not going to put too much pressure on bowling miracle balls.

"So I've been bowling a lot because the amount of overs you put in gives you some confidence. And I've also been discussing fields and strategies with Claude Henderson (spin consultant). It's just about having game-plans in place, especially with the wickets turning more."

Duminy will have a first opportunity to sample his new job during South Africa's only warm-up match, a three-day affair against Pakistan A in Sharjah, which gets underway tomorrow. The match will be Duminy's second outing in whites since making his comeback in June.

Playing for South Africa A, he top-scored in the first innings with 84 and took three wickets in India A's first innings. Despite being in the squad for the second match as well, Duminy was thought to have done enough to show that he had not lost what it took to play in the longest format and he was not included in the next XI.

Lack of first-class game time is always a concern for players making comebacks but Duminy is confident of being able to get back into Test cricket habits quickly. "I am pretty happy to be slotting back in. Even though I had a long layoff, the last two months has been really good from a performance point of view so I am excited to be back in Test cricket again," he said. "It's just like riding a bike and I will be trying not to do too much differently."

The whole South African unit is thinking along the same lines and basing their game plan on doing things the same way they always have. But they also know keeping the challengers to their No.1 spot at bay will not be easy. Even beating Pakistan 2-0 in the UAE will only result in a gain of one point on the ranking. Any other outcome will result in them losing a point. That's why, despite the gap between the two sides (Pakistan are at No.6), this series is actually worth a lot more than face value suggests it is.

Duminy, for one, knows that. "We are coming here expected to do well being No.1. We are going to be under pressure. The quicker we accept that, the easier it will be," he said.

Source

 

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South Africa target uncertain top order

Mohammad Hafeez's omission from the Pakistan Test squad has given South Africa a clear indication of where to draw the battle lines for the two-match series. With Khurram Manzoor set to occupy one opening spot, and the other yet to be decided but likely to be filled with a less experienced batsman than Hafeez, South Africa's seamers are targeting Pakistan's fragility at the top.

"Our pace attack against their opening batters will be important to set up the series for us," South Africa's coach Russell Domingo said ahead of the first training session in Dubai. "Hafeez's form has been a bit of a concern for them for a period of time. But he is a quality bowler and a quality batsmen and we are not displeased that he is unlikely to play a part."

Despite conditions expected to suit spinners more than quicks, Domingo said the fast men will be tasked with putting Pakistan under pressure from the get-go, by exploiting what appears to be their most obvious weakness. Domingo said Test achievements were built on strong first-wicket stands and if South Africa can prevent Pakistan from establishing one, it will set them up in pushing for victory.

"If you look at South Africa's Test cricket, it has been successful because of the way the openers have gone about their business," Domingo said. "Its the most important partnership in any format. If you think of great Test sides, like Australia had Hayden and Langer, that's the kind of thing you need."

Domingo also played down talk of raging turners, saying he was ready should the groundstaff prepare something different. "We've been involved in series where we want a certain type of wicket and we don't get it, so it's difficult to pre-empt," he said. The practice pitch at the Sharjah Cricket Ground told a different story. Imran Tahir and JP Duminy spent a significant amount of time bowling and both found substantial turn.

And Pakistan certainly seem to be expecting spin. Without Hafeez to add to the bowling options, they have Zulfiqar Babar, who will be hopeful of a first Test cap, and who could be their surprise package. "We'll need to have an in depth look at him and do some analysis," Domingo said. "He has obviously got a lot of experience but we need to sit down and do our homework."

So far South Africa have only had time to reacquaint themselves with each other, after not playing as a Test outfit since March. On arrival in Sharjah, they held a bonding session of sorts at an establishment where they watched the country's national rugby team, the Springboks, lose to New Zealand's All Blacks on Saturday afternoon.

The rest of the day was devoted to enjoying some quiet and Domingo hoped it would help in acclimatising, especially to the heat. "When you get here to start with the heat is always stifling but after four or five days, you tend to get used to it."

Work, as is customary in this part of the world, began on Sunday morning when they held their first team meeting. "We had a good chat and emphasised the important elements that made this Test side so successful and how we want to try and continue to do well," Domingo said.

They will have two days of training - today and tomorrow - before a three-day warm-up game against Pakistan A. Domingo said he would have preferred another practice outing but is satisfied that the cricket some of the squad has played in the last few months will ensure they are match-ready. "One warm-up game is not ideal. But its better than nothing," he said. "Quite a lot of the guys have been playing cricket in Champions League, Hashim [Amla] was playing county cricket and some preparing with their franchises."

The last arrival from the CLT20 flew in today. Faf du Plessis was with the Chennai Super Kings and left India on Sunday morning. He traveled straight to the ground to join the practice. Thami Tsolekile, the reserve wicketkeeper, will arrive later in the week. He is on compassionate leave following the death of his mother-in-law.

South Africa will look to play 13 in their practice match to ensure everybody has a "bit of a go," and have the opportunity to size up some of the players who could form part of the opposition. Given that Pakistan are likely to pick their other opener from the cricketers who do duty in the warm-up match, with Ahmed Shehzad the leading candidate, it will also give South Africa's quicks the chance to make a first impression on whoever partners Manzoor at the top.

Source

 

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CSA Tweets:

Proteas have been sent in to bat against Pakistan A. SA have selected 13 players for the match, with enforced declarations after 100 overs

Smith out lbw for 2. Proteas 9/1 after 7 overs

Drinks at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. Proteas 26/1. Petersen 15 and Amla 8 toiling well in tricky conditions

50 up for the Proteas after 21 overs. Petersen 30, Amla 23. The runs are starting to come a bit easy.

 

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I can't seem to find a live scorecard for this tour match.

 

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Match state at Lunch: Proteas 67/1. Good effort by Petersen 32 and Amla 31 after the early with of Smith (2)
Lunch Session report

Graeme Smith's return to the national side after injury lasted only half an hour as he was dismissed for two in South Africa's warm-up match against Pakistan A. Smith was out lbw in the seventh over by Ehsan Adil to put paid to his hopes of "maximising" limited preparation time ahead of next week's first Test.

Smith has only played two matches after six months out of the game with an ankle problem and has scored a total of only four runs. His time at the crease on this occasion could have been even shorter. He was dropped by first slip when he was on one but Pakistan A were not made to pay for their lapse.

South Africa were 8 for 1 after the early loss and disciplined lines from Adil, Imran Khan and Aizaz Cheema kept Alviro Petersen and Hashim Amla quiet. By the drinks breaks, the two had only managed 18 more runs while Smith headed straight for the nets.

The shackles were loosened after the interval with Petersen playing a couple of crisp drives and one aerial shot over mid-off. Amla crunched a pair of boundaries through point, one of which skirted dangerously close to the fielder's fingertips, to settle him.

Both teams have agreed to field 13 players and enforce a declaration after 100 overs. The South Africans have left out reserve wicketkeeper Thami Tsolekile, who is on compassionate leave following the death of his mother-in-law, and Dean Elgar, who may have to come in for Hashim Amla who could be on paternity leave for the second Test.

 

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@AlviroPetersen gets to his 50. Good steady knock in the heat. SA 106/1 after 34 ovrs. Amla 45

 

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@amlahash scores the 2nd 50 of the innings. He also retires with the sore on 113/1. Kallis comes to the crease

 

[Electric]

Smith going out for low scores is just becoming a standard now.
He's amazing when he's firing but just absolutely terrible the rest of the time.

Either it's LBW or it's caught behind.
How has he not sorted out his lazy defense yet?

 

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Alviro Petersen has retired on 57. #pakvsa

 

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SA 184/1 after 52 overs. Kallis 49, De Villiers 17. #pakavsa

 

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Proteas piling on the 50's today. Kallis the 3rd batsman to get there #pakavsa

 

[NeonNinja]

Cricinfo scorecard stagnant.

 

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Cricinfo scorecars stagnant.

I'm picking this off CSA's twitter feed.

Cricinfo only providing session updates.

 

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Tea time in Sharjah. Proteas 201 after 58 overs. Kallis 54* and De Villiers 29* at the crease. #pakavsa

 

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Half-centuries from Alviro Petersen, Hashim Amla and Jacques Kallis gave South Africa's core decent batting practice in their warm-up match against Pakistan A in Sharjah. Petersen and Amla saw off a testing early period to build a strong partnership before both retired out.

Kallis scored at a brisk rate, despite the hot and humid conditions, and will likely not come out for the final session. AB de Villiers was more circumspect in his approach but also remained undefeated at the interval.

That left Graeme Smith as the only member of the line-up who did not maximise the limited preparation time ahead of next week's first Test. . Smith, on his return to the national side after ankle injury, was out lbw in the seventh over to seamer Ehsan Adil after being dropped for just one in the slips a few overs before.

South Africa were 8 for 1 when Amla went in to bat and he and Petersen had to contend with some disciplined lines from Ehsan Adil, Imran Khan and Aizaz Cheema. Both he and Petersen were patient early on before being allowed to score more freely after lunch.

The pair approached their half-centuries with a selection of creative strokes. Amla favoured the cut through point while Petersen drove well. Both retired shortly after reaching the milestone.

Kallis began his innings in a hurry, with pinpoint drives down the ground. He scored quickly, especially against the spinners, who did not trouble South Africa as Pakistan A may have hoped. Yasir Shah offered little threat but the other legspinner Usman Qadir, the 20-year old son of Abdul Qadir, found sizable turn, although the South African batsmen did not struggle too much against him.

With Faf du Plessis and JP Duminy still to bat, South Africa will want to give their lower middle-order a work out in the final session.

 

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Usman Qadir gets the wicket of De Villiers for 58. SA 262/3

 

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Great batting day for the Proteas. 331/3 at stumps with Duminy 50* and Du Plessis 23* seeing off the day. #pakavsa

 

[Mike Hoxbig]

Live scoring is enabled again on Cricinfo.

We got some great batting practise today