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By Muhammad Shafique Raja
RAWALPINDI, Oct 19 (APP):Pakistan head coach Azhar Mahmood has urged his players to show greater consistency when they face South Africa in the second and final Test of the series, starting Monday at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
Pakistan lead the two-match series 1-0 after a 93-run win in Lahore — a result that gave their World Test Championship 2025-27 campaign an ideal start.
Azhar, however, said his side must avoid repeating the lapses that allowed South Africa to fight back in patches during the first Test.
“Even after the first Test I had said that losing wickets in clusters is a concern,” he told media at a press conference at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
“The pitch in Lahore, offered something for everyone — reverse swing, pace and spin — but batsmen who applied themselves scored well. “Our focus is on not repeating the mistakes we made earlier.”
The coach said the players had worked on adjusting to spin-friendly conditions during their training camp.
“Many of our boys were already playing first-class cricket, but the camp was designed to help them adapt to turning tracks — to develop scoring options and shot selection against spin,” he explained.
Azhar praised his batting unit for putting up runs in both innings of the opening Test but called on the lower order to contribute more.
“All our top-order batters made runs — four in the first innings and three in the second — but the lower order couldn’t finish well,” he said. “We expect them to deliver with both bat and ball. In the past, Nauman Ali and Sajid Khan have done well, and Hasan Ali and Shaheen Afridi can also bat. Their runs matter a lot.”
He pointed out that South Africa’s tail had added nearly 90 runs for the last four wickets in Lahore, a difference Pakistan were determined to address.
Discussing selection plans for Rawalpindi, he said the final XI would depend on pitch conditions but hinted at minimal changes.
“We played two seamers in the last Test because we expected reverse swing to play a role — and it did. We’ll look at the surface tomorrow morning and decide accordingly. There could be changes, but not more,” he said.
The coach also downplayed the toss factor, saying Pakistan’s aim was to post a strong first-innings total regardless of conditions.
“We don’t want the toss to decide the match. Even if we lose it, our goal is to put 350-plus on the board in the first innings,” he said.
Azhar said winning the series against a top-ranked side like South Africa would be a massive confidence boost.
“No Test is ever dull, especially against a world-class team. Beating them would lift our confidence enormously,” he said. “We need to win sessions, stay disciplined over long periods, and stick to our basics.”
On Pakistan’s World Test Championship ambitions, he said the home schedule offered a crucial opportunity.
“We’re playing six Tests at home, which are vital for our campaign,” he said. “We’ll take it step by step — match by match, session by session — but our ultimate goal is to qualify and win the Championship.”
Responding to a question about his earlier comments on Pakistan’s spin resources, Azhar clarified that his remarks had been misinterpreted.
“I never said Pakistan doesn’t have quality spinners,” he stressed. “What I said was that during the Bangladesh series, we didn’t have a specialist spinner in the squad. There are many talented spinners in the country, and I can name ten who can serve Pakistan in future.”
Acknowledging South Africa’s strength, he said Pakistan were fully prepared for the challenges posed by left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj and pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada.
“They are among the best in the world. We know what to expect from them, and we’ve planned accordingly. Now it’s about execution on the day,” he said.
Azhar also supported calls for longer Test series at home, saying two matches were “too few.”
“Ideally, every bilateral Test series should have at least three matches. Five is difficult these days, but three would be fair,” he said.
Pakistan will be aiming to seal the series 2-0 when the second Test begins on Monday at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.