Cricket lovers, be prepared! Pakistan is about to welcome South Africa back home, and this will go far beyond a regular series like the Pakistan-South Africa series of January 2020. The stage is set for a fresh beginning as the ICC World Test Championship 2025–27 gets underway. It’s going to be a blockbuster October 2023—nine matches in total, split evenly into 3 Tests, 3 T20Is, and 3 ODIs. Never have we had Tests that matter with white-ball action on the side, and rarely do we see an opportunity for Test cricket enthusiasts and white-ball virtuosos to cheer for their favorites all at once. Plus, with Faisalabad getting back on the ODI map after more than 17 years, there will be plenty of opportunity for history to repeat itself in pyrotechnic fashion.
Tests
The Lahore series, starting October 12, is no ordinary contest; it’s where WTC27 raises its curtain and the first punches are thrown. Having secured a victory at home, Babar Azam and his team will look to continue their dominance in familiar conditions. The same cannot be said for South Africa, which will want to erase the memory from their perspective of a 2-0 defeat at home in 2021, while also looking to make a statement in a difficult subcontinent environment. The battle on the pitches, the changes to bowler plans, and the best of Pakistan’s spinners going up against South Africa’s batters will be enjoyable to watch. For purists of the game, it is worth noting to look out for how bowlers use these pitches, because the difference over winning or losing WTC points could be tiny.
T20Is
Once the Test series wraps up, fans can look forward to three T20Is across Rawalpindi and Lahore from 28 October to 1 November. Sparks will fly in the T20 series, with both teams confirming that they will pick power-hitters in their squads. The variety of explosive batsmen in Pakistan’s ranks is breathtaking, while the T20 specialists in South Africa’s team can turn a match at the drop of a hat. The T20s are not simply a warm-up for the ODIs, but rather a chess game that will require team tactics that will dent their opposition and measure every ball.
Cricket Returns to Faisalabad
The three-match ODI series between Pakistan and South Africa from 4-8 November is significant for several reasons. Firstly, an ODI at Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad is special as the ground last hosted a 50-over fixture back in 2008; therefore, this visit brings back memories of a time and space that has been lost in time. Secondly, Pakistan will remember batting runs here with a true wicket, which certainly will help Pakistan get into the series, but South Africa should not use any complacency here, given in particular South Africa’s in-form top-order batting and versatile bowling. This three-match series should provide some entertaining contests and provide good opportunities for newer players on either side to perform ahead of ICC events.
From the exhilarating WTC tussles to white-ball pyrotechnics and a historic ODI reemergence, this Pakistan-South Africa series is everything you could want in cricket. Cricket fans will strap in throughout October and November for a rollercoaster ride that could deliver a decisive moment in every game. Will Pakistan be dominant again at home, or can South Africa rewrite their sub-continent narrative?
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