Allan Donald Warns South Africa: Pakistan Will Present a Tough Challenge in Test Series
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Mumbai, Dec 25 (NationPress) As South Africa readies itself for the Boxing Day Test against Pakistan, the first encounter of a two-match series that could guarantee them a position in the World Test Championship final, renowned pacer Allan Donald has cautioned the team that Pakistan will not be a walkover after gaining momentum from their clean sweep in the ODI series.
Pakistan achieved a historic first-ever clean sweep over South Africa in a home ODI series, leaving the hosts pondering their strategy before the pivotal Test series, which kicks off with a Boxing Day match at the Supersport Park in Centurion on Thursday.
Allan Donald, who praised Pakistan for their outstanding performance in the ODI series, noted that South Africa must bring their best game, as winning at least one of the two upcoming Test matches is crucial to secure a spot in the final of the World Test Championship.
"I recognize that South Africa is on the verge of reaching the WTC final. They only need to win one Test match out of the two to qualify for the final. However, Pakistan is not going to make it easy. The confidence they’ve gained from the ODI series victory will carry into the Test series, making it tough to stop them. Especially at these two venues, Pretoria and Cape Town, known for their pace and bounce, we can expect a highly competitive Test match pitch there," remarked Donald during a discussion organized by the SA20 India.
Despite South Africa's historic 0-3 home series loss to Pakistan, Donald believes it shouldn't be a cause for concern ahead of the upcoming World Cup. He pointed out that the team has performed well in the 2024 T20 World Cup and the 2023 World Cup in India, and they are still in contention for a place in the WTC final, even with several key players sidelined by injuries.
"South Africa has a strong squad and has been testing other players. I think Rob Walter is keen to assess the available talent for the next Cricket World Cup. He has rotated many players recently, and I believe now is the right time to evaluate who can be relied upon for the upcoming tournament," he added.
Furthermore, Donald commented that a bilateral series of 2-3 matches has become standard nowadays, contrasting with his era when teams played five Tests and as many ODIs, as players were involved in significantly more matches each season due to the rise of T20 leagues globally.
