And this record does not include Tests played in the UAE. With those, Pakistan's record is even more dominant.

This series win also helped Pakistan gain two spots in the ICC Test Rankings.

The best part about this series win is that every single player, across the two tests, put their hands up, and contributed towards Pakistan's victory charge.

Winning start to Babar Azam's Test captaincy stint; resurgent comeback of Hasan Ali; coming of age of Mohammad Rizwan and Faheem Ashraf; epic debut of Nauman Ali; continued redemption of Fawad Alam; and consistent breakthrough provided by Shaheen Afridi and Yasir Shah; first test rearguard action of Azhar Ali; and the immaculate slip catching of Imran Butt - all of them  played their part in Pakistan's first test series win over South Africa in 17 years!

It sure was epic seeing Pakistan come out on top in this Test series, and bodes well for the future of Pakistan's cricket under Babar Azam, as well as, for Pakistan playing at home!

When Pakistan's greatest test batsman, Younis Khan, and most capped test captain, Misbah Ul Haq, retired in May 2017, we all thought; rather we all knew that Azhar Ali and Asad Shafiq were ready to take over the role of Pakistan's leading test batsmen.

Till that time, Azhar and Asad had played all their test cricket in a batting line up that was built around the backbone of Younis and Misbah.

Azhar made the number 3 position his own and even excelled as an opener; while Asad always provided solid support at number 6.

Both of them excelled in their respective roles.

So much so, that Azhar was Pakistan's leading run scorer in tests during the period between July 2010, when he made his debut, and May 2017, when Younis and Misbah called time on their careers.

During this period, Azhar was also the 5th highest run scorer in tests, with only Alastair Cook, David Warner, Steve Smith, and Kane Williamson ahead of him. He scored more than the likes of Younis, Sangakkara, Kohli, Amla, and Root during these 8 years!

Azhar truly excelled as an opener during this time, scoring a triple hundred, as well as a double hundred at the MCG! His average of 55 as an opener during this period (2010-17) was the highest among all batsmen who opened in at least 10 test innings.

Asad, on the other hand, made number 6 popular again. During these 8 years, he became the most successful test number 6 ever scoring more runs at that position than anyone (barring Steve Waugh) in the history of the game.

He also created the record of scoring the most test centuries from number 6, breaking a record held by Sir Gary Sobers!

Azhar and Asad were more than ready to take charge of Pakistan's test batting when Younis and Misbah bid adieu to the game.

12 tests in since the retirement of the two legends, and I have come to realize that Azhar and Asad will never be the test batting greats that they could have been!

They have been epic disappointments for Pakistan's test team and I solely blame them for the rut that Pakistan's test team has been for the past 18 months or so.

When Javed Miandad and Saleem Malik moved on in the 90s, they passed on the torch to the likes of Inzamam Ul Haq, Mohammad Yousuf, and Younis Khan. When Inzi and MoYo moved on, Misbah Ul Haq joined Younis Khan to take Pakistan's batting forward. Azhar and Asad should have done the same.

They were ready and had been groomed; however they have been major failures, which has resulted in embarrassing test losses for Pakistan.

To put things in perspective, take a look at the difference in their performance in the two periods.


The dip in Azhar's performance is alarming. Asad's performance has not decreased as significantly as Azhar's, but when we look at his performances in context of the matches, you will realize how he has been a big reason for Pakistan's failures.

Here's a look at what Azhar and Asad did in the 12 tests that Pakistan have played since Younis and Misbah retired.

PAKISTAN vs SRI LANKA - 2 TESTS IN UAE

Pakistan's first assignment in the new era was a two test series against Sri Lanka in the UAE, a fortress for Pakistan where they did not lose a single test series in 7 years under Misbah. In those 7 years, Pakistan lost only 4 tests in the UAE.

Sri Lanka, severely depleted themselves since Sangakkara and Jayawardene retired, completely blanked Pakistan in both the tests resulting in Pakistan losing their first ever test series in the UAE since it became their official home.

The loss hurt, but the manner of the loss hurt even more.

Pakistan lost the first test by 21 runs when they failed to chase a target of 136. Azhar went for a second ball duck and Asad managed only 20.

Pakistan lost the second test by 68 runs. In the first innings, Azhar failed to build on his 59 and Shafiq went for 12 as Pakistan conceded a huge lead. In the second innings, Pakistan were chasing an improbable 317 but Asad Shafiq could not close the game despite scoring 112.


PAKISTAN vs IRELAND - 1 TEST AWAY

Pakistan just scraped through to a 5 wicket win thanks to Imam Ul Haq and Babar Azam. Chasing 160, Pakistan were reeling at 14-3 and looking at an embarrassing loss to test first timers. Azhar's 2 and Asad's 1 contributed to the 14-3 situation. 


PAKISTAN vs ENGLAND - 2 TESTS AWAY

Pakistan's test win at Lord's was probably the biggest shock of 2018. The test showed the importance of Azhar and Asad to Pakistan's test team as their innings of 50 and 59 respectively helped Pakistan take a first innings lead resulting in a victory scripted by Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Aamer, and Hasan Ali.

In the next test however, Pakistan succumbed to an innings defeat. Azhar and Asad contributed 2 & 11 and 27 & 5 respectively.



PAKISTAN vs AUSTRALIA - 2 TEST IN UAE

Asad had a decent series with scores of 80, 41, 0 and 44. Those scores show that he has the ability but they also show his lack of concentration, focus, and motivation to build on a laid platform.

Azhar, on the other hand, continued to disappoint, with scores of 18, 4, 15, and 64.

While Pakistan won the series 1-0, it could have very easily been 1-0 to Australia had Fakhar and Sarfraz not saved them from 57-5 in the first innings of the second test. That scoreline of 57-5 was 57-1 at one stage before Lyon wrecked havoc with 4 wickets in 6 deliveries including Azhar (15) and Asad (0).


PAKISTAN vs NEW ZEALAND - 3 TESTS IN UAE

Azhar and Asad continued to disappoint against New Zealand as their failure resulted in Pakistan losing the first test of the series by a mere 4 runs.

They failed to capitalize on their platform in the first innings falling for 22 and 43 respectively; and then miserably failed in the second innings as Pakistan failed to chase a target of 176. Asad fell for 45 while Azhar was last man out for 65 unable to score 5 more runs required for a win.

Pakistan won the second test quite comfortably and Azhar added 81 to an innings dominated by Haris Sohail and Babar Azam. Asad could only manage 12 runs in Pakistan's solitary innings.

The third test of the series, and 10th test since the retirement of Younis and Misbah, finally showed the world what everyone had been waiting for.

Azhar and Asad came together at 85-3 and put on a 200 run partnership for the 4th wicket. Both knocked centuries with Azhar scoring 134 and Asad 104. Had they finally arrived as the batting leaders they were supposed to be?

Their partnership helped Pakistan secure a first innings lead and a possible series win.

But that was not meant to be, as Pakistan's batsmen failed to survive two sessions on the final day and crumbled for 156 in a match that could have very easily been drawn had they just batted the day out.

At a time when Azhar and Asad just needed to put on a rearguard they disappointed in epic proportions falling for 4 and a first ball duck respectively.


PAKISTAN vs SOUTH AFRICA - 2 TESTS AWAY

The end of 2018 and beginning of 2019 brought the toughest test yet for Pakistan's batsmen. No one expected much of them on this ongoing tour, but one at least expected some sort of fight.

In the first test, Pakistan managed only 181 with Azhar and Asad contributing 36 and 7 respectively.

Pakistan's bowlers did really well to restrict South Africa's lead to just 40 odd runs and then Imam Ul Haq and Shan Masood played beautifully to wipe out that lead and take Pakistan to 100-1 at Tea on Day 2.

A lead of 58 runs, 9 wickets in hand, and a fantastic chance to pile on the pressure on South Africa and bat them out of the game.

The stage was set for Pakistan's leading batsmen to capitalize on a brilliant platform set up by Imam and Shan.

Azhar walked out to bat with Imam falling right after tea and Pakistan's score at 101-2. Azhar lasted only 3 deliveries. Pakistan 101-3. Asad walked out and back to the pavilion soon too leaving Pakistan on 134-4.

Their failures, yet again, resulted in Pakistan setting a target of 149. Game over.

Similar failures continued in the second test as Azhar and Asad fell for 2 and 20 respectively in the first innings. When Pakistan batted again, they were facing a deficit of 254 and a likely innings loss. Azhar failed again scoring only 6, and Asad just delayed the inevitable with a meaningless knock of 88.

I say meaningless, because I am amazed at how many irrelevant runs Asad has scored. A century while chasing 500 to win a test, a century when the top order has already piled on 250+, an 88 that takes you no where.

There was a stage when Pakistan were 190-3 with Asad and Babar Azam at the crease. The deficit was 60 odd, Asad was in his 80s and Babar was knocking it well and had raced to 30 odd. That was the time when a batting maestro like Younis or Misbah, or even an Inzi or MoYo, would have grasped the opportunity, scored a big test hundred, and given Pakistan an outside chance of a win with a target of 150+.

What does Asad do? Throw it all away like always!

It is just sad that Azhar and Asad have not been able to become the batsmen that they should have. They will always remain average test batsmen who could not take the next step and evolve into true batting greats.

They have had all the chances in the world. They have had the best grooming possible by sharing a dressing room with Younis and Misbah for 7 years and by batting with them in the middle for 7 years in over 50 tests.

There could not have been a better way to master test batting.

And there could not have been a better time for Azhar and Asad to stand up and be counted among the batting greats of this era.

Unfortunately that will never happen now.

What epic failures these two have been.

It has been 12 hours since Pakistan defeated South Africa in the first test of the two match series in Abu Dhabi, and the feeling that what a great achievement the win is for Pakistan has started to sink in.

There could not have been a more stark contrast between the test record of the two teams coming into this match.

South Africa - undefeated in 15 tests prior to this one, ranked world number 1, and boasting the presence of the top two ranked test batsmen and the top two ranked test bowlers in their XI.

Pakistan - 1 test win in their last 8 tests that too against lowly ranked Zimbabwe, ranked number 6, and coming fresh of a test defeat to Zimbabwe.

South Africa were clear favourites. No one really gave Pakistan a chance.

Except for those quietly confident eternally optimistic fans who believed that the UAE always brings about special performances from Pakistan.

It was just last year, in the UAE, that Pakistan had clean swept the then world number 1 test team - England. However, since then Pakistan had been poor in tests. They had lost a series to Sri Lanka, were whitewashed in South Africa, and drew a series 1-1 in Zimbabwe.

Pakistan, who had risen to number 4 in the test rankings, had fallen to 6 this year.

The slide was unfathomable for the fans.

Yet for the quietly confident eternally optimistic fans, it was just a matter of time before those fortunes swung again.

Pakistan might have become poor travellers, but they are a super power at home. They have not lost a single test match in the UAE since it became "home" for them in 2010.

Even prior to that, Pakistan's home record was second to none. They have the best W:L ratio among all teams in test matches played at home.



Pakistan's record in the UAE prior to this match against South Africa was also enviable. Played 12, Won 6, Lost 2, Draw 4.

Despite the fact that South Africa were favourites going into the first test in Abu Dhabi, I am sure that there were others like me who thought that Pakistan could not be counted out.

Yet to achieve a victory like Pakistan did was a big achievement.

Forget the fact that Pakistan defeated the world number 1 test team. Think about the fact that Pakistan managed to bowl out a team, whose batting line up comprised of the names Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis, Graeme Smith, AB De Villiers, JP Duminy, and Faf Du Plessis, not once but twice for less than 250 inside 4 days.

Those 6 names are synonymous with feats like chasing 414 to win a test match in Australia and batting out 148 overs to save a test match in Australia. Two of those names sit pretty at the top of the test batsmen rankings.

The fact Pakistan's 4 man attack bowled them out for 249 and 232 on a relatively good batting surface highlights the enormity of Pakistan's achievement.

Every bowler chipped in. Mohammad Irfan softened the batsmen upfront and got the initial breakthroughs; Junaid Khan troubled the batsmen with his swing and got the prized wicket of Kallis twice in the match; the debutant Zulfiqar Babar bowled rippers and asked questions of the batsmen in every over; and the magician Saeed Ajmal continued to cast a spell ending the match as the leading wicket taker among both teams.

Pakistan's bowling has delivered time and again in the past and it did so again. What made Pakistan count in this match was its batsmen, who stood up to be counted, and almost ensured that Pakistan would not have to bat again.

There are numerous examples of test matches in which Pakistan's batsmen have thrown away the advantage that their bowlers have created for them.

That did not happen this time round.

Besides the two centuries and a solid 75 by the debutant opener, the highlight of Pakistan's batting performance was the running between the wickets. There was assurance and confidence in the manner the Pakistan batsmen ran.

The strike was rotated constantly and there was hardly any time in their innings that one felt that the Pakistanis were embroiled in meaningless defence for prolonged periods.

That allowed them to score at over 3 an over (3.18 for the innings). There were even long periods of the game when Pakistan was scoring at over 4 an over. In contrast, South Africa's run rate in its two innings was 2.67 and 2.80.

Pakistan have a lot to be proud of after this win and there are many feats that they will treasure and take with them into the next test match in Dubai.

1. Khurram Manzoor's 146 was the highest score by a Pakistan batsman in a test match against South Africa.
2. Khurram Manzoor and Shan Masood's 135 run opening partnership was the second highest opening partnership for Pakistan against South Africa. They fell short by two runs of the record partnership, which was between Taufeeq Umar and Imran Farhat in 2003.
3. The opener's century stand was Pakistan's first after 10 tests. The last century opening stand came 22 innings ago.
4. Misbah, with scores of 100 and 28*, became the leading run scorer in all international matches played in 2013.
5. Asad Shafiq scored his 7th test 50 while batting at number 6. That is now the highest number of test 50s for a number 6 batsman in tests in the past three years (since 1st November 2010). Angelo Matthews and Ian bell have 6 fifties each at number 6 during this period. Asad Shafiq also has 3 centuries at this position during this period; Only Michael Hussey with 5 centuries has more. Asad Shafiq needs 101 more runs to over take Hussey and become the leading run scorer at the number 6 position in tests since 1st November 2010.
6. Misbah became the oldest man to score a test century for Pakistan.
7. Dale Steyn's opening spell of 5-0-31-0 was his most expensive opening spell ever in test cricket.

UAE is fast becoming Pakistan's fortress, while Pakistan is fast gaining the reputation of being Giant Killers. This was their fourth consecutive win in the UAE against the number 1 test team.

Additionally, in the past two years they have managed to:

Beat England (World #1 Test Team) 3-0
Beat India (ODI World Champions) 2-1
Beat West Indies (World T20 Champions) 2-0

This win against South Africa is no surprise. Not for the quietly confident eternally optimistic fans. However, it is one big achievement and all Pakistani should be proud.

Especially Misbah and his men.

I think rather than wondering how the hell Pakistan lost a test match to Zimbabwe, we should be praising Younis Khan for ensuring that Pakistan came out of the series with a 1-1 draw instead of a 2-0 loss, which was sure to happen had Younis not come out with a scintillating double hundred.

Losing to Zimbabwe in any form of the game is embarrassing for a top cricket nation. But losing to them in a test match is worse than that. The players should find it difficult to show their faces in public. They should find it difficult to speak to the media. They should be at a loss for words. They should feel humiliated.

The upcoming series against South Africa brings this Pakistan test team full circle since Misbah took over in 2010. Misbah's first series as test captain was against South Africa in the UAE in November 2010.

During his first 18 months as test captain, Pakistan did not lose a single test series. In fact in the 15 tests they played between November 2010 and February 2012, Pakistan lost only 1!

Under Misbah, Pakistan's test team had an enviable test record - Played 15, won 9, lost 1.

They won test series against England, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, and Bangladesh and drew them against South Africa and the West Indies.

The pinnacle of this period was the clean sweep over the number 1 ranked test nation - England, which helped Pakistan rise to number 4 in the test rankings. Their highest test ranking for a decade.

And then suddenly something went horribly wrong.

Since clean sweeping England, Pakistan have not won any test series. They lost 1-0 to Sri Lanka, were embarrassed 3-0 by South Africa, and humiliated in a 1-1 draw with Zimbabwe, which could have easily been a 2-0 loss.

In the 18 months since the win over England, Pakistan has played 8 tests under Misbah, winning only 1 of them, that too against Zimbabwe.

While Misbah's overall test record is still pretty good - Played 23, Won 10, Lost 6 - his W:L ratio has gone down from a record 9:1 to 5:3.

So what went wrong? When did Pakistan become such a bad test team? The same set of players clean swept England. The same set of players helped Pakistan reach number 4 in the test rankings. What has gone wrong?

Pakistan's Test XI against South Africa in 2010 was Hafeez, Taufeeq, Azhar, Younis, Misbah, Asad, Adnan, Rehman, Gul, Wahab, Ajmal.

Pakistan's Test XI against Zimbabwe in 2013 was Hafeez, Khurram, Azhar, Younis, Misbah, Asad, Adnan, Rehman, Ajmal, Junaid, Rahat

Besides an opener and two pacers, Pakistan's test team is exactly what it was three years ago.

In all the test series during the past three years, Pakistan has been consistent with its test team selections. There has been no chopping and changing.

Yet, a winning pattern has changed into a losing one.

Why?

If you take a look at the overall performance of the batsmen during the three years that Misbah has been in charge, it actually shows that they have been quite solid.


I do not think that Pakistan has ever had a top 6 that has been as consistent as this one. Pull out the batsmen averages for any 3 year period, I doubt that any 6 will have given a better cumulative performance over a sustained period.

The bowling has been spearheaded by the world's bets spinner, Saeed Ajmal; and his supporting cast been quite strong.


However, there is a stark contrast between the performance of the players in the first 18 months of Misbah's test captaincy and that in the next 18 months.

The dip in performance of the batsmen is significant.


While three of Pakistan's batsmen averaged above 50, with two averaging well above 60, between November 2010 and February 2012, none of them averaged above 50 during the period between March 2012 and September 2013.

There is a clear dip in form of Azhar Ali, who stood like a rock at number 3 during the first half of Misbah's captaincy tenure. While Younis Khan has continued to be a dominating force even in the latter period, there is a big difference from his superlative performance during the initial period. Much like Misbah.

There are two clear reasons for this drop in performance levels.

Out of the 15 tests in the initial period, Pakistan played 8 of them in the UAE, which even though is not home for the batsman, it is somewhat home and favorable batting conditions. Additionally, out of the 7 away tests in this period, 3 were in Bangladesh and Zimbabwe.

Over the next period, Pakistan played all of the 8 tests in testing foreign conditions of Sri Lanka, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.

Not playing at "home" has not helped Pakistan's test batsman and they have not been able to translate their super home surface success in foreign conditions.

The other reason is scheduling ofcourse.

While Pakistan played 15 tests in 16 months between November 2010 and February 2012, they played only 8 test over the next 19 months!

Cricket is a rhythm game; the more flow you are in and the better you play. There was a gap of 4 months between Pakistan's successful test series against England and their next test series against Sri Lanka.

Additionally, there was an elongated gap of 8 months between that series and their next test series against South Africa, earlier this year.

Then they waited another 6 months to play tests against Zimbabwe.

Such scheduling helps no one. You can blame the ICC or other cricket boards all you want for not giving Pakistan a good schedule as per the FTP, but the only one to hold accountable for this is the PCB.

I understand that Pakistan cricket is suffering because they can't host any team in their own country, but that does not mean that the administrators cannot lobby with other boards to arrange more tours. Especially when the board has witnessed a rise in the team's test performance.

Players like Azhar Ali, who only play test cricket, suffer even more as they are kept away from international cricket for long periods of time. Azhar has been a pillar for Pakistan in tests and a key component of their success in the earlier part of Misbah's captaincy tenure; however he failed miserably in the series against Zimbabwe.

Can you really blame him? He played no cricket at all besides some meaningless domestic ODI games between March and August of this year.

Only the PCB is to be blamed for that.

The fans will continue to cry and complain about Misbah's captaincy, Hafeez' non-performance as an opener, the lack of flair of Azhar Ali and Asad Shafiq.

But the truth of the matter is that Pakistan cricket is suffering the most because it is not playing enough. It is not touring enough.

Pakistan can't host cricket at home, which effects the amount of revenues the board can generate. That impacts the number of development tours that an Under-19 team or a Pakistan A team can make to gain experience of foreign conditions. A lack of international cricket at home means that players wait for long periods between tours making them lose their flow.

A greater reliance is put on ODIs to generate funds, which impacts the number of tests Pakistan plays. This has impacted players like Aamir Sohail and Mohammad Yousuf in the past, and now it is impacting the careers of batsmen like Azhar Ali and Taufeeq Umar.

Amir Sohail once hit 205 in a test against England at Old Trafford. The commentators likened him to the great Sir Viv Richards. After that series, Pakistan did not play a test for another 6 months.

Mohammad Yousuf hit the most runs in a calendar year in the history of test cricket in 2006. He played only 6 tests over the next 30 months!

So yes while a defeat against Zimbabwe is sad and embarrassing and humiliating, the players are really not at as much fault as it is being portrayed.

The board, the domestic structure, the international isolation of the country are big reasons for our downfall. The fact that we even manage to win in these times is an achievement.

Hopefully the upcoming tours at "home" in the UAE will bring some smiles back on the faces of Pakistan cricket fans.

After facing the embarrassment of being bowled out for 49 and sort of saving face with a relatively much improved performance with the bat in the second innings of the first test, Pakistan will take the field once again to battle South Africa in two days.

It has been a long break since the end of the first test of the series and Pakistan have had plenty of time to regroup, practice, and think about tackling the mighty South Africans.

The 2-day game against an Emerging Cape Cobras XI was a successful one for Pakistan as they completed a 10 wicket win and got some valuable practice as well.

Pakistan will be pleased with Younis Khan getting some runs under his belt and more importantly with him spending some time in the middle. Pakistan continued to bat after reaching their target of 58 to get some batting practice, and Younis made full use of the opportunity by knocking an unbeaten 74 and spending over 2.5 hours at the crease.

In 5 innings on tour, prior to this one, Younis had failed to score more than 15. While Hafeez, Nasir, Misbah, and Shafiq have all been among the runs on this tour, it has been the struggle of Younis and Azhar Ali  that has been a major spot of bother for Pakistan.

With Younis gaining some confidence, it leaves only Azhar Ali who is yet to score more than 15 on this tour. Azhar's 6 innings thus far include scores of 2, 3, 13, 18, 11, and 12.

Azhar Ali has been Pakistan's leading run scorer in test for the past 2.5 years. Even though people believe that he has only scored on dead subcontinental wickets, it is not true as Azhar has scored runs in England, New Zealand, and the West Indies, besides the more batsmen friendly pitches of the UAE, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh.

But he is struggling in South Africa.

Many have suggested that a defensive approach will not work for him in South African conditions, especially against Dale Steyn & Co., because he is bound to get an unplayable delivery at some point, which he will succumb to after consuming many deliveries and scoring very little.

A more aggressive approach is required, but unfortunately Umar Akmal is not around. Perhaps someone like Asad Shafiq, who likes to keep the scoreboard ticking, can be pushed up the order with Azhar batting at number 6.

There have been suggestions to play Faisal Iqbal instead of Azhar Ali, largely because of Faisal's breezy knock of 33 against the Cape Cobras. Faisal was definitely in good touch and looked in control hitting 7 boundaries in his innings. But he hasn't played a test for Pakistan for over 4 years, with his last appearance coming against Australia in January 2010.

There is something to think about for the Pakistan team management, but I don't see them changing the composition of their trusted top 6. What I would do, however, is move Younis Khan up a position and ask him to bat at number 3, where he has batted for the better part of his career.

Younis moving to number 4 was a good strategic decision as it helped groom Azhar Ali as a long term number 3, but in South African conditions, Pakistan will be better off using the experienced Younis at number 3 and keeping Azhar Ali back.

Given Shafiq's current form, I would bat him at 4, followed by Misbah and Azhar.

The bowling has not been a worry for Pakistan, but a selection blunder in the first test cost them heavily. Rahat Ali is at best a mediocre bowler, and his inclusion instead of Mohammad Irfan was inexplicable.

Everyone has been harping on about how Irfan can't bowl long spells, won't last 5 days, and so on. But everyone is also aware of his effectiveness. Or rather, should have been. A 7 footer bowling on South African pitches is a dream for any captain and yet Pakistan decided not to play him on fitness grounds.

Unbelievable.

How many times have we all seen Shoaib Akhtar, Shane Bond, and Brett Lee being used in short bursts of three 4-6 over spells in a day in test matches? Their captains understood their effectiveness and limitations and used them effectively.

The same can be done with Mohammad Irfan. 4-5 overs is all that bowlers of his nature need to make an impact. It is also very easy to hide fielders in a test, so Irfan's energy can be easily protected.

After his performance against the Cape Cobras, it will be criminal to leave him out of the team for the second test starting on Thursday.

I wish there was some way that Rehman could be included in the XI, but it is a luxury to play two spinners in South Africa and impossible to replace Saeed Ajmal. Despite that an attack comprising of Junaid, Irfan, Gul, Ajmal, and Hafeez presents lip licking prospects.

Beating this South African team will be a gargantuan task, but I expect a much improved show from Pakistan and a tougher fight than the one given in the first test.

Series abhi baaki hai mere dost...

My XI for the test: 1. Mohammad Hafeez, 2. Nasir Jamshed, 3. Younis Khan, 4. Asad Shafiq, 5. Misbah Ul Haq, 6. Azhar Ali, 7. Sarfraz Ahmed, 8. Umar Gul, 9. Saeed Ajmal, 10. Junaid Khan, 11. Mohammad Irfan.

No one really expected Pakistan to win a test match in South Africa, but no one expected them to be bowled out for 49, their lowest test score ever, either.

It is very easy to point fingers at the Pakistan bastmen and criticize them for a poor technique, bad footwork,  and a lack of application.

However, one must remember that the same pace attack bowled out Australia for 47 and New Zealand for 45. When you are up against the number 1 team in the world that has a pace attack comprising of Steyn (Ranked 1), Philander (Ranked 2), and Morkel (Ranked 9) in their own backyard, batting is really really tough.

Pakistan's wrecker-in-chief was Dale Steyn who had match figures of 11-60, which is his best return ever in a career spanning 63 test matches.

With the new ball, Steyn was unplayable. Particularly in the first innings, where he produced a devastating spell and had astonishing figures of 6-8 !

Steyn's match haul of 11-60 earned him his fifth 10-wicket haul in test matches, which is now the most number of 10-wicket hauls for South Africa. Before this test, he was level with Makhaya Ntini on four.

His 5-wicket hauls in each innings of the match took his tally to 21 5-wicket in an innings hauls, surpassing the South African record of 20, which was held by Allan Donald.

Steyn's 323 test wickets are still behind those of Shaun Pollock (421), Ntini (390), and Donald (330), but he has also played a fewer number of tests than each of them. With age on his side (he is only 29), he looks well set to become the top South African wicket taker of all time.

Someone said that he's got Donald's pace, Ntini's fitness, and Pollock's seam and swing, which arguably makes him the best fast bowler ever to play for South Africa.

Currently, he is also the best fast bowler in the world.

But is Dale Steyn also the best ever fast bowler of all time?


Steyn is currently at number 17 among the top 20 wicket takers of all time in test cricket, but as I mentioned he has played fewer tests than the rest of them and has a long way to go still. Considering his fitness levels, he can play well beyond another 5 years easily.

Steyn's strike rate of 40.8 is the best among the top 20 bowlers. Better than McGrath's, Hadlee's, Waqar's, and Marshall's. In fact his strike rate is the 5th best strike rate of all time in test cricket behind Lohmann, Philander, JJ Ferris, and Shane Bond.

Steyn's five 10-wicket match hauls are level with Wasim and Waqar, and behind only those of Imran Khan, Dennis Lillee, and Richard Hadlee.

The most glaring statistic, however, is Steyn's wickets per match. He averages 5.13 wickets per test match, which is the most that any fast bowler with over 200 test wickets averages in test cricket.

Dennis Lille and Richard Hadlee are the only other two fast bowlers who averaged over 5 wickets per test match in their career.

If you include spinners into the equation, then Steyn's 5.13 wickets per test is the third highest behind Muralitharan's 6.02 and Grimmett's 5.84.

Those truly are some outstanding numbers.

Dale Steyn may well end his career as the best ever fast bowler to have played the game.

Finally Pakistan will take the field in a test match tomorrow. It has been a long wait since their last test series against Sri Lanka in June-July last year.

For the purists, this is Pakistan's ultimate test. They are up against the number one test team in the world, and one that has hardly lost a test series in recent times. Especially at home.

Pakistan are a team that has been on the rise in test cricket for the past two years. They have lost only two of their past 10 test series and only two of their last 18 test matches. This record includes leveled test series against Australia and South Africa.

Pakistan are ranked number 4 in test cricket, a ranking that they have achieved through a consistent run that has been second to none.

No other team has the sort of win % that Pakistan has in tests over the past 2 years.

The naysayers and doubters still don't acknowledge Pakistan's strong performance and the usual criticism is that most of their victories have come in the Subcontinent / Subcontinent type pitches and that they have played against relatively weaker opposition.

But the fact is that besides India, Pakistan have played against every single test playing nation since the summer of 2010, and except for a 3-1 loss to England and a 1-0 loss to Sri Lanka, Pakistan has either won or drawn all other series.

Additionally both the series that were lost were avenged at home when England were beaten 3-0 and Sri Lanka 1-0, with home being the UAE, which is not really home you know.

Whether those wins for Pakistan were easy or not, whether they came in home conditions or not; come tomorrow, none of it matters. This series against South Africa is going to be Pakistan's toughest one in recent times.

Pakistan have never won a test series in South Africa. Even the most optimistic Pakistan cricket fans are not expecting this fact to change.

But what we are expecting is a tough fight.

Pakistan will pose a significant challenge to South Africa.

They might even win a test match.

If they manage to draw the series, it will be like a win for Pakistan.

They are up against the world's number 1 test team, but don't forget that this time last year, Pakistan was also up against the world's number 1 test team. And we all know what happened there.

I expect this to be a cracking test series and I can't wait for the action to start in Johannesburg tomorrow! It is Graeme Smith's home town, it is Graeme Smith's birthday, and it is Graeme Smith's 100th test match as captain, which is a feat achieved by no one else.

The South Africans will be celebrating Biff's day tomorrow, and the Pakistanis are going to be trying their best to spoil the party!

In just over two weeks, Pakistan will take the field to take on the world's number 1 test team. The last time that happened, Pakistan finished off the series with a whitewash - a 3-0 victory over England.

One can't really expect the same against South Africa in South Africa, a country where Pakistan has never won a test series.

Moreover, the current South African test team is probably the best test team they have ever had in their history of test cricket.

Smith, Amla, Kallis, De Villiers, Du Plessis, Alviro Petersen represent the strongest test batting line up internationally. Five of them are among the Top 20 ranked batsmen in tests, while the one who is not is only 4 test matches old and already has 2 centuries and 2 fifties in his 6 test innings.

Steyn, Morkel, Philander represent the best pace attack in the world currently, and arguably one of the best ever test pace attacks to play the game.

Steyn and Philander are the Top 2 ranked bowlers in tests, while Morne Morkel is at number 8.

That's a team with every single player in great form. No surprises then that they are the world's number 1 test team.

To say that this tour to South Africa is going to be a big test for Pakistan is a gross understatement.

It will be tough. It might even be a disaster. Pakistan could be whitewashed. Watching New Zealand fold in front of the South Africans, there can't be much hope for Pakistan's batsmen.

But there should be some in my opinion.

In Mohammad Hafeez, Taufeeq Umar, Azhar Ali, Younis Khan, Misbah Ul Haq, and Asad Shafiq, Pakistan have a very stable batting line up. Add the ever improving Nasir Jamshed and the emerging Haris Sohail to the mix and Pakistan have a good problem on their hands in deciding their top 6.

Pakistan's test record in the past 2.5 years, during which they have lost only 2 tests, is second to none. The rise of batsmen like Azhar, Hafeez, and Asad, coupled with the experience of Younis and Misbah, has been a key reason behind the team's success.

The biggest contributor to this success though is Saeed Ajmal, the world's best spinner across all formats. He has single handedly lead Pakistan's bowling attack over the past couple of years and destroyed all teams that have come in his way.

England's demolition last year was largely due to their inability to read Saeed Ajmal, and his partner in crime, Abdur Rehman.

While South African conditions may not offer much assistance to spinners, Ajmal and Rehman are the sort of bowlers who don't require much help from the pitches. Their variety and guile are enough to trouble the best of batsmen across all types of surfaces.

Moreover, Pakistan finally have a potent pace attack. Once again it feels like a proper Pakistan team with attacking fast bowlers who can trouble opposing batsmen. They are worth every penny that you pay for to watch them; a sure treat on the eyes. I've heard fans talking about wanting to sell iPhones to go watch them bowl.

In Junaid Khan, Mohammad Irfan, Umar Gul, and the untested Ehsan Adil, Pakistan has its most dangerous pace attack since the 2010 summer when Aamer and Asif were running through the Australian and English batting line ups.

Adil is only 19, but going by his U19 and domestic performance during the past year, he has the potential take wickets in heaps in South Africa.

Pakistan's batsmen might find it difficult facing Steyn, Morkel, and Philander in their back yard, but I can assure you that Smith & Company will not find it easy to cope with Junaid, Irfan, and Ajmal.

I truly believe that it will be a well fought series. Tough to think of a Pakistan series win, but I am quite sure that they will compete well and give South Africa a hard time.

Pakistan is currently ranked number 4 in tests. The last time they played against the world's number 3, number 2, and number 1 teams the results were 1-1, 3-0, and 0-0 respectively.

The last time Pakistan played South Africa in a test series was in 2010 in the UAE, right after the England summer when the spot fixing scandal had destroyed the team's morale.

It was Misbah's first test series in charge of the team and Pakistan managed to hold South Africa for a draw in both tests.