CENTURION: South African captain Temba Bavuma on Tuesday announced an all-pace attack for the first Test against Pakistan starting at SuperSport Park in Centurion on Thursday. The two-match series is crucial for South Africa, who will qualify for next year’s World Test Championship final if they win one of the matches.

“We back our seamers at Centurion,” Bavuma said at his pre-match press conference. Fast bowler Corbin Bosch will make his debut for a team missing several leading pace bowlers because of injury. He plays for the Titans provincial team whose home ground is at Centurion.

Bosch, 30, is the son of the late Tertius Bosch, who played in South Africa’s first post-isolation Test, against the West Indies in Barbados in 1992. “He will be playing at the venue where he has made a name for himself in the provincial set-up,” said Bavuma. “He adds that element of extra pace. He’s a big, strong guy who hits the deck hard and he offers a role with the bat as well.”

Bosch bowled at more than 140kmph (87mph) when he made his one-day international debut against Pakistan in Johannesburg on Sunday and hit 40 not out as a lower-order batsman. Bavuma said his players were aware of the significance of being on the verge of reaching the world championship final. “We know what’s at stake. There’s confidence and belief because of the good cricket we have played over the last while. Nothing has happened by accident.”

South Africa’s progress in the Test championship final has come despite Cricket South Africa’s deliberate downgrading of Test cricket to accommodate a high-profile Twenty20 franchise series. South Africa’s schedule of 12 Tests – all in two-match series – is the joint lowest with Bangladesh in the championship cycle. England have played 22 matches, while Australia and India will have played 19 each when they complete their fixtures.

The system of average points has propelled South Africa to the top of the table despite virtually forfeiting a series in New Zealand when coach Shukri Conrad was prevented from selecting any players contracted to the SA20 league.

South Africa did not play against Australia or England and their only series against one of the “big three” Test nations was a tied one against India. Pakistan have only won two out of 15 Tests in South Africa but will go into the series on the back of a convincing 3-0 one-day series win. Seven of the Pakistan squad and eight of the South African Test team players were involved in the one-day games. — AFP