Dean Elgar to lead SA in third Test against Pakistan
South African opening batsman Dean Elgar will lead the side in the third and final Test match against Pakistan. The final Test will start at the Wanderers Stadium on Friday. Cricket South Africa announced on Wednesday that Elgar will be the skipper in place for Faf du Plessis, who is suspended for the Test. Here is more on the same.
Faf was suspended due to slow over-rate
Faf was suspended for one match after the Proteas fell short of the required over-rate in the second Test at Newlands. South Africa had beaten Pakistan by nine wickets to take a 2-0 lead and seal the Test series. It was the second offence under Du Plessis's tenure as SA skipper within a 12-month period.
Elgar to lead SA for the second time
All eyes will be on Elgar and how he leads the side in Faf's absence. It will be the second time that Elgar will captain the side. The last time he led South Africa was in the first Test against England at Lord's in 2017. SA went on to lose that Test by a staggering 211 runs.
Elgar appointment part of SA strategy
Linda Zondi, the CSA National Selection Panel convener, said that the idea was to groom South Africa's pool of leaders. "The appointment of Elgar as stand-in captain is part of our strategy to develop our pool of leaders. We have previously used Aiden Markram and Quinton de Kock in this role in ODI matches, and Dean has previously captained the Proteas," he said.
Markram in doubt for SA in third Test
SA have named Pieter Malan on standby for opening batsman Aiden Markram. He is set to undergo a fitness test on Thursday. Markram suffered a bruised right thigh while fielding during the second Test at Newlands. He didn't bat in the second innings.
