South Africa vs Pakistan: Duanne Olivier confirmed to play Newlands Test

Hosts South Africa had a rollicking start to their home season, with a win against Pakistan. Duanne Olivier, who picked up the Player of the Match in Centurion has been confirmed to play the second Test in Newlands, Cape Town. Olivier was on fire in the first Test, bagging 11 wickets in the Boxing day Test. However, the return of Vernon Philander means that one of the other two pacers in Kagiso Rabada and Dale Steyn may have to sacrifice their spots.

Nevertheless, the skipper Faf du Plessis has made it clear that Duanne Olivier will feature in the Newlands game. Du Plessis claimed that the quick bowler is capable of bowling fiery spells and is certainly someone who they would prefer to have in their arsenal. Du Plessis was also confident that for a sub-continental side, the speedster would certainly create some uneasiness.

“Just that enforcer role that I think is important he brings variety into our attack. We’ve got a lot of skill in our bowling attack and Duane is more an enforcer and a guy that puts you on the back foot. He is a fit guy that can bowl long spells and I like to have that in the armoury.

He runs at you and is in your head most of the time. It’s not comfortable for anyone,” the 34-year old said in a pre-match press conference. “It can sometimes be a bit challenging for the batters especially when they come from the subcontinent where the ball doesn’t bounce that high,” the Proteas skipper further said. 

Newlands reported to be a slightly spinning wicket

While the paradise in Newlands has supported the seamers traditionally, the Transvaal-born was also of the view that it also spins a bit. According to the former theory, all the four seamers could make up the playing eleven, with Keshav Maharaj being rested. However, the skipper is still pondering the best combination and would have a chat with the selector about it.

“We’re still talking about what we need to do. Historically, Newlands is a ground that spins a bit so it’s just about finding the correct balance and it’s always a tricky circumstance. There are a few combinations.”

[interaction id=”5c2cc56fb183763b0a9fe018″]

Get the latest Cricket News and updates, Match Predictions, Fantasy Cricket Tips and lots more on CricTracker.com.