Pakistan should find conditions favourable

South Africa and Pakistan will meet twice, on Wednesday 11 December in Port Elizabeth and Friday 13 December in East London, in the Eastern Cape in games two and three of the five match Standard Bank one-day series.

Traditionally, the St George's Park and Buffalo Park pitches have a slower and lower bounce, which will suit the visitors. Playing in conditions that are the closest to the pitches back home that they will find in South Africa, together with their experience in Zimbabwe will make them a more formidable adversary.

Add to this the probable return of Shoaib Akhtar, and Pakistan have a pace attack that can blast out many a team. In Durban Wasim Akram was awesome, while Waqar Younis, Mohammad Sami and Abdur Razzaq did not bowl to their full potential. Saqlain Mushtaq also did not prove much of a threat and he cannot expect much from either pitch. A lot will depend on the form of the front-line bowlers.

The Pakistan opening batsmen, Taufeeq Umar and Saleem Elahi, will have to get their act together by keeping the scoreboard ticking over and reducing the pressure on the rest of the batsmen. Players like Yousuf Youhana and Inzamam-ul-Haq are at their best when they are allowed to attack from a platform.

South Africa will be aiming for a more solid performance in the top order. Herschelle Gibbs and Jacques Kallis failed in Durban, while Boeta Dippenaar is expected to come in for Neil McKenzie as South Africa continue to seek a solution to their number three problem. A good start from Graeme Smith and Gibbs, with the home team batting to number nine, could spell trouble for Pakistan.

The South African bowling has been firing on all six cylinders. Pollock, Ntini, Kallis and Donald have been brilliant to date, well assisted by the likes of Klusener and Hall, with Boje used mainly in a containing role.

The lights at both grounds are satisfactory but not brilliant. Neither team would like to bat second against the respective attacks, but dew at the grounds has also caused problems for the fielding side. Depending on the conditions on the day, either captain could decide to bat on winning the toss.

Pakistan will not want go two down in the five-match series, and are expected to come out hard, but will be hard pressed by a South African team growing in confidence and performance.