CAPE TOWN, Jan 02 (AFP): South Africa and Pakistan must resolve selection headaches ahead of the second Test starting at Newlands on Thursday.
South Africa's six-wicket win in the first Test at Centurion was set up by the bowling of Duanne Olivier, who had match figures of 11 for 96.
Olivier got his chance because of an injury to Vernon Philander, who is fit again and will "definitely come back" to play at his home ground, according to captain Faf du Plessis. Philander has taken 49 wickets in nine Tests at Newlands at an average of 16.55.
Despite his performance at Centurion, Olivier is unlikely to be picked ahead of Kagiso Rabada, who finished 2018 as the world's top-ranked Test bowler, or Dale Steyn, South Africa's all-time leading wicket-taker. Which means Olivier will only play at the expense of a specialist batsman, with Theunis de Bruyn the most likely to make way.
Pakistan will also be welcoming back a first-choice fast bowler in Mohammad Abbas, with captain Sarfraz Ahmed saying after Centurion that Abbas had fully recovered from a shoulder injury.
Squads: South Africa (likely from): Faf du Plessis (captain), Dean Elgar, Aiden Markram, Hashim Amla, Temba Bavuma, Theunis de Bruyn, Quinton de Kock (wkt), Vernon Philander, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Dale Steyn, Duanne Olivier.
Pakistan (likely from): Sarfraz Ahmed (captain/wkt), Imam-ul-Haq, Fakhar Zaman, Shan Masood, Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq, Babar Azam, Haris Sohail, Mohammad Amir, Yasir Shah, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Abbas, Shaheen Shah Afridi.
