With regular skipper Temba Bavuma expected to sit out the Test series vs Pakistan due to an injury, stand-in captain Aiden Markram said that the absence of him as well as spinner Keshav Maharaj, who will not take part in the 1st Test, opens the door for other players to step in. The reigning WTC champions will start the new World Test Championship cycle with the series vs Pakistan, set to start on Sunday. "Bavuma is our foremost batter. He has been incredible batting under pressure, he's also our leader and we don't need to say anything more about what he has done with the team. Maharaj has been a top spinner for us and he has bowled well even on flat tracks so it is a bit of a setback for us but at same time also an opportunity for others," Markram said on Saturday. Markram also said that the playing XI could also feature the big hitter Dewald Brevis. "He is someone who can change the course of a game with his batting approach and you need such players in these conditions,” he noted. Meanwhile, left-arm fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi will make a return to Test cricket after nearly 17 months as Pakistan will go in with two spinners and two pacers in the first Test Despite all the talk about preparing spin pitches and including four specialist spinners in their 16-member squad, the Pakistan team management has decided to keep a balanced attack for the first Test with Shaheen Shah Afridi set to share the new ball with Khurrum Shahzad. Veteran spinners Noman Ali and Sajid Khan will handle the spin duties. The 25-year old Shaheen last played a Test against England in May 2024. In fact the left armer played just four tests since December 2023 as he was dropped after the first game against England for remaining two tests against and the two matches in South Africa early this year and a home series against West Indies.
