Karachi, Sep 26 (IANS) Pakistan cricketers have less than a week to switch to Test mode after the just-concluded Twenty20 World Championships, with the opening game against South Africa to be played here from Oct 1.
“Skipper Shoaib Malik is urging his players to make the switch as soon as possible in a bid to give a solid showing in the two-match Test series against one of the world’s best teams,” The News reported Wednesday.
The South Africans, too, will find it hard to get into the Test mode but for them the harder task would be to adapt to the hot conditions here. Prior to the Test, they will play a three-day warm-up game against a Patron’s XI here from Thursday.
The Graeme Smith-led South Africans will also play five one-day internationals (ODIs) during the Pakistan tour that concludes here Oct 29.
“Most of the players in the South Africa squad have the experience of playing in Pakistan but even then it would take some extra effort from them to give their best in what would be really demanding conditions,” The News noted.
“For Pakistan, however, weather is not a cause of concern. They trained for the World Twenty20 in extreme conditions in Karachi and Lahore during a big part of the summer.
“For them, the biggest worry is whether their players would be able to shrug off the Twenty20 mode in time to make a winning start to the Test series,” the newspaper added.
Pakistan coach Geoff Lawson has admitted that it would be a tough task but expressed confidence his players would do their best in the series.
Pakistan is expected to announce its Test squad during the visiting side’s practice game here.
South African team: Graeme Smith (captain), Hashim Amla, Mark Boucher
(wicketkeeper), A.B. de Villiers, Jean-Paul Duminy, Herschelle Gibbs,
Paul Harris, Jacques Kallis, Morne Morkel, Andre Nel, Makhaya Ntini,
Shaun Pollock, Ashwell Prince, Dale Steyn.
Schedule:
Sept 27-29: South Africa v Patron’s XI at Karachi.
Oct 1-5: First Test at Karachi.
Oct 8-12: Second Test at Lahore.
Oct 16: Limited overs warm-up at Lahore.
Oct 18: First ODI at Lahore.
Oct 20: Second ODI at Lahore.
Oct 23: Third ODI at Faisalabad.
Oct 26: Fourth ODI at Multan.
Oct 29: Fifth ODI at Karachi.