South African captain Temba Bavuma on Tuesday confirmed an all-pace attack for the first Test against Pakistan, set to begin at SuperSport Park in Centurion on Thursday.
South Africa will be aiming to secure a spot in next year’s World Test Championship final as they face Pakistan in a crucial two-match series. A win in either of the matches will ensure their qualification.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference, South African captain Temba Bavuma expressed confidence in his team’s seam attack, particularly at Centurion, a venue known for its pace-friendly conditions. “We back our seamers at Centurion,” Bavuma said, ahead of the series opener.
In a significant development, 30-year-old fast bowler Corbin Bosch will make his Test debut for South Africa. Bosch, who plays for the Titans provincial team based at Centurion, comes into the side at a time when South Africa is missing several key pace bowlers due to injury.
Bosch’s debut is especially poignant, as he is the son of the late Tertius Bosch, who played in South Africa’s first post-isolation Test against the West Indies in 1992.
Bavuma highlighted Bosch’s attributes, stating, “He will be playing at the venue where he has made a name for himself in the provincial set-up. He adds that element of extra pace. He’s a big, strong guy who hits the deck hard and he offers a role with the bat as well.”
Bosch made an impressive debut in one-day internationals against Pakistan earlier this week, bowling at speeds exceeding 140km/h (87mph) and scoring a vital 40 not out in the lower order.
Bavuma further emphasized the significance of the series, acknowledging the stakes as his team looks to reach the World Test Championship final.
“We know what’s at stake. There’s confidence and belief because of the good cricket we have played over the last while. Nothing has happened by accident,” he said.
South Africa’s path to the World Test Championship final has been remarkable, especially considering Cricket South Africa’s decision to downplay Test cricket in favor of a high-profile T20 franchise league.
Despite this, their success in the Test Championship has been driven by a system of average points. South Africa’s schedule, consisting of 12 Tests, is the joint lowest in the competition, alongside Bangladesh. By contrast, England has played 22 matches, and Australia and India have each played 19.
Although South Africa has avoided playing against major Test nations like Australia and England, their progress has been aided by a tied series against India and a series against New Zealand, which saw them forfeit the matches due to player unavailability.
Pakistan, on the other hand, has a poor record in South Africa, having won only two out of 15 Tests. However, they come into the series buoyed by a commanding 3-0 win in the one-day series against South Africa.
Seven players from Pakistan’s Test squad and eight from South Africa’s Test team were involved in the one-day series, providing valuable recent match practice. The two teams will meet in the first of the two-match series at Centurion, with both sides eager to make an impact.
Pakistan XI: Shan Masood (Captain), Saud Shakeel, Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Haseebullah Khan, Kamran Ghulam, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Rizwan (wkt), Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha.
South African XI: Temba Bavuma (Captain), Aiden Markram, Tony de Zorzi, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, David Bedingham, Kyle Verreynne (wkt), Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Kagiso Rabada, Dane Paterson.
