Proteas trust their own prep as Pakistan Tests loom

SA play the first of two Tests against Pakistan starting on Sunday, and as they did before Bangladesh last year, the players and coaching staff forewent the opportunity to play a warm-up game, while none of the squad took part in the opening weeks of the domestic four-day series.

The Proteas won in Bangladesh — a first Test series victory in a decade in the subcontinent — and believe similar preparation will stand them in good stead this time, even if some, inside Cricket SA and outside, feel aggrieved by that choice.

“If a guy wants to play a four-day game because it’s the best prep for him, that should be allowed,” said Proteas stand-in captain for the Tests Aiden Markram. “Other guys might feel they need a rest and get their bodies strong again after what’s been a busy few months; then they can do so as well.

“The biggest thing is guys need to go there feeling well prepared physically and from a skill point of view, and we trust each person to tick those boxes before the first game.”

Markram, Ryan Rickelton, Kagiso Rabada, Tristan Stubbs and Marco Jansen last played a first-class match in the final of the World Test Championship in June.

The biggest thing is guys need to go there feeling well prepared physically and from a skill point of view, and we trust each person to tick those boxes before the first game

—  Aiden Markram

The Proteas start the defence of that title with two Tests in Pakistan, where spin is expected to feature prominently. The decision to train at the Centre of Excellence facility in Tshwane meant SA could prepare pitches that mimicked what they expect to play on in Pakistan.

“We’ve been training on three pitches; on one [the spin] is really exaggerated, on the other less so, and we left the other normal. You want to get to Pakistan, and maybe it feels a bit easier,” Markram said.

When Pakistan hosted England last year, local authorities used industrial fans and patio heaters to rapidly dry out the pitches after the home team lost the opening Test. Markram, who is captaining the side in place of Temba Bavuma while he nurses a calf injury, said he wasn’t bothered by a host nation creating favourable conditions — regardless of the steps they take to do so.

“If it’s your home game, then prepare the pitches how you want to prepare them. If it’s going to be extreme, as it was in that England series, then it will be difficult batting conditions for both teams.”

Pakistan won both of the remaining Tests of that series, with Noman Ali and Sajid Khan taking 39 wickets between them. The duo are in the squad for the Tests against SA as part of a five-pronged spin attack.

“I’m not too fussed; if you want to use home-ground advantage to help your team, you should be able to do so. As a squad we have to be happy with what we have and back who we have to get the job done,” Markram said.

SA countered the home team by picking three frontline spinners in the squad, including Simon Harmer, who last played for South Africa three years ago. Keshav Maharaj is still in a rehabilitation programme after injuring his groin in the T20 series in England but will be available for the second Test.

“Having faced Simon and ‘Subs’ [Prenelan Subrayen] now [at training], though they are both off-spinners, they throw two completely different challenges at you. They are quite different types of spin; they have side spin and over spin, which react differently off the wickets.”

In Bavuma’s absence, Dewald Brevis is expected to bat at No 4.

“He is an option, especially with the way he plays spin,” Markram said. “If the conditions are going to be exaggerated, then he can quickly change the momentum of the game, playing the way he does.”