South Africa's Aiden Markram feels that ace Pakistan batter Babar Azam's dismissal will be critical for his side in their upcoming tour of Pakistan. The all-format series between Pakistan and South Africa will kickstart with a couple of Tests on Sunday, as the first game will see both the sides locking horns in a riveting encounter of Test cricket.
Markram, the standby skipper in Temba Bavuma's absence, has also opined that playing on decks which are expected to spin will serve as a challenge. However,
he seemed to be quite confident on his team's preparation ahead of the all-important red-ball series.
“He is a world-class player who needs no introduction. Babar’s wicket will be a big one for us, and we’ll aim to bowl well and take key wickets early. Playing in home conditions is always a big advantage, and we respect that. Playing on spin-friendly wickets in Pakistan will be a challenge, but we are fully prepared," stated Markram, as quoted by India Today.
Pakistan's skipper Shan Masood, on the other hand, spoke on how picking up 20 wickets and succeeding in home series will be crucial for the team to excel.
"There was a big gap between Test series after the Bangladesh tour, but this time the PCB has taken excellent steps to close that gap. We can win matches only by taking 20 wickets. Our focus will be on how to achieve that. Form in home series is very important if you want to do well in the World Test Championship,” he said.
Contrasting start for PAK, SA in new WTC challenge
The first Test is scheduled to commence on Sunday, October 12. The match is slated to be played at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, following which the teams will travel to Rawalpindi for the second and final red-ball encounter of the series. The first T20I will be played in Rawalpindi too, while the second and third 20-over matches will be played in Lahore. Later in the tour, all three ODIs will be played in Faisalabad.
Pakistan and South Africa have not gotten their 2025-27 World Test Championship underway yet. While the Proteas enter their new cycle as the reigning champions, the Asian giants ended rock-bottom with only five wins in 14 matches in the previous cycle. They will be hoping to put up a better performance by starting afresh.
