“We’ve tried to prepare for anything and everything,” said senior Proteas batsman, Faf du Plessis, in his address to the media three days before the first Test match between South Africa and Pakistan in Karachi. 

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Given the Proteas last played in Pakistan in 2007, Du Plessis acknowledged there is an element of uncertainty, particularly with respect to the nature of the pitches they will play on. The Proteas are focusing their efforts on countering spin, reverse swing, and reflecting on the lessons from their previous tour to Pakistan.

While the Proteas’ first few practice sessions were at the Gymkhana, they had their first practice session at the National Stadium on Saturday. Du Plessis pointed out that the pitches the team has been practicing on have been different from the ones at the stadium they played on. He expects the pitch to behave like a typical subcontinent wicket and believes spinners will play an integral role in the game. 

The Proteas batsmen have been working on playing the ball as late as possible to effectively score against spin and reverse swing. Du Plessis said the batsmen have been trying to increase their range of scoring options because the “challenge is when a spinner bowls a lot of dot balls.”

Analyzing South Africa’s formidable record against Pakistan, Du Plessis indicated the composition of previous teams that notched wins against Pakistan was significantly different. At this point, Du Plessis explained, both, South Africa and Pakistan are evenly placed in terms of experience, and are looking to develop their Test teams. 

On the prospect of playing in the subcontinent, where international teams have generally failed to win Test series, Du Plessis joked, “I’m glad there’s confidence in my voice. Fake it till you make it.”

“Comes from a place of contentment really,” Du Plessis explained. 

Offering his assessment on how the Proteas team management is helping Quinton de Kock manage his workload, du Plessis said Mark Boucher and the coaching staff are trying to ensure that de Kock is largely free of the responsibility to attend press conferences and meetings. “We want him to be the best batsman that he is,” emphasized Du Plessis. 

Du Plessis is wary of the threat Pakistani captain, Babar Azam, poses to the Proteas. Du Plessis believes Azam is among the top three batsmen in the world, and his last two seasons have been exceptional for Pakistan. On the bowling front, du Plessis complimented Shaheen Shah Afridi for spearheading the Pakistani bowling attack over the last couple of years. 

With du Plessis now in his fifth bio-bubble since the beginning of the IPL in September 2020, he is “grateful to play cricket,” but also remains cognizant that “it’s not sustainable.”

Back-to-back bio-bubbles are “where the real challenges lie,” said Du Plessis. Personally, he highlighted, “I’m still in a good place, motivated, and driven.” 

Finally, du Plessis talked about the importance of Proteas men and women’s teams spreading awareness regarding gender-based violence in South Africa.

“It’s not a women’s problem, it’s an ‘us’ problem. We need to better,” firmly stated Du Plessis. “From a male perspective, it’s really important we create awareness on this. I don’t take it lightly at all,” said Du Plessis. 

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See Faf du Plessis’ full press conference: