Proteas take inspiration from Bangladesh tour ahead of expected Pakistan spin test

The visitors are expecting the pitches in the two-match series to take prodigious turn and be heavily in favour of the spinners, something the Proteas dealt with when they beat Bangladesh away from home in October last year.

The Proteas clinched a 2-0 Test series win in Bangladesh, with Verreynne hitting 114 in the first Test, that would be the catalyst for their run to the World Test Championship final, where they beat Australia at Lord's in June.

The Pakistan series is also the start of a new World Test Championship cycle for both teams with Verreynne and his teammates looking to defend the trophy.

The wicketkeeper-batter said: "Going into the Bangladesh series last year, I think there was a lot of chat about what it would mean if we did get a win.

"The preparations that we put into that series are still quite fresh in our minds. "We've taken a lot of that going into this series. I think it's quite a similar series in many senses.

"I know that wasn't the start of our cycle last time around, but it felt like that was the tour that got us going and we're obviously starting our cycle now, so from that point of view, I think there's a lot that we take from that Bangladesh series – a lot of good things."

The Proteas have only played two Test matches in Zimbabwe in July - which were not part of the current WTC cycle - since the WTC final with the national players involved in a glut of white-ball fixtures.

Verreynne is one of the few players in the squad in Pakistan that has had plenty of red-ball cricket most recently having helped English domestic side Nottinghamshire win the County Championship title just last month.

The gloveman also feels the low and slow conditions in the sub-continent suits his style of batting, unlike most South Africans who play regularly on quick and bouncy tracks.

"These are probably conditions that have always suited the style of player that I am,” Verreynne said. "So probably going into the Bangladesh series, I already had quite a bit of confidence about my game and how it would suit conditions.

"And then doing well there put me at ease knowing that the conditions that we are expected to be facing, I know what I have to deal with.

"It just brings a lot of clarity knowing that what I've done, if I'm able to do the same that I did in Bangladesh, it will hopefully be successful. And I think that's the same for the team."

The Proteas last played a Test series in Pakistan in 2021 but lost both matches.