Advertisement
Advertisement
LAHORE: South Africa stand-in skipper Aiden Markram has heaped high praise on Pakistan ace batter Babar Azam, admitting that they will be targeting his key wicket in the series.
South Africa’s stand-in skipper Aiden Markram has lavished praise on Pakistan’s star batter Babar Azam, admitting that his will be one of the key wickets they’ll be targeting in the series.
Speaking in the pre-match press conference, Markram shed light on the team’s preparations and Pakistan’s spin challenge, including Babar’s wicket.
“He needs no introduction. Babar’s wicket will be a big one for us, and one of the bowlers will try to get him and work out,” he remarked.
Markram expressed his excitement about the upcoming spin challenge, stating that despite not being heavily exposed to conditions, they are ready to take on the hosts.
“Naturally, we’re looking forward to the challenges Pakistan will pose in terms of spin-friendly tracks, as we assume.”
“As a team not heavily exposed to these conditions, it’s going to be exciting and a great opportunity for us to get things right here. So we’re putting a lot of focus into that, and ultimately we want to string together five good days of cricket in the first Test,” he continued.
The 31-year-old mentioned that the England series against Pakistan last year and admitted that Pakistan will fully capitalize on home advantage.
“We expect the conditions to spin — we saw how things turned in the England series. Pakistan will obviously try to win, which is completely fair, and we look forward to that challenge.
We’ll have another look at the wicket today and hopefully get a clearer picture before finalising everything for tomorrow,” Markram remarked.
World Test Champions South Africa will be without their regular captain, Temba Bavuma, who was ruled out of the tour due to an injury. However, Aiden Markram lamented his absence and aimed to give their best in challenging circumstances.
“Of course, we’ll miss Temba a lot — he’s our leader, and there’s no need to even introduce him,” he said of Bavuma.
Pakistan and South Africa will face off in the first tomorrow at the Gaddafi Stadium, marking the start of both teams’ campaign in the World Test Championship (WTC). 2025-27 cycle.
