After giving away the home series to the South Africans in an embarrassing loss the Pakistan team is looking for revenge on South African soil. The Pakistan team will be trying to compensate for that loss and the loss in the last South African tour, under the leadership of Rashid Latif, who will be playing his first test series as captain. Though Pakistan may be missing the services of Wasim Akram, it has instilled in its side some fresh blood in the likes of Yousuf Youhana and Shoaib Akhtar who will face a tough challenge in the face of the South African adversity. However, Pakistan will be banking on its experienced players like Inzamam, who has been playing with utmost consistency and ranks No.1 in the C&L ratings, and Saeed Anwar, who is always a danger to the opposition once he starts stroking the ball with his immaculate timing.

The South African side will also be playing this test with a new captain in Gary Kirsten, who has replaced the injured Hansie Cronje. The South Africans, too, have not had the best of times since that emphatic win in Pakistan, losing both the World Series in Australia and also losing the Test Series. They have also been suffering in their fielding, which has not been even close to their regular standards. However the side, playing along with recalled opener, Andrew Hudson, will have the advantage of playing on home ground. They will be looking to Allan Donald to play an important part in the test, along with his Pakistani counterpart Waqar Younis. The South Africans will also rely heavily on Gary Kirsten, who has been very dependable and a prolific run scorer all through out his career. Supporting him will be Adam Bacher, who has effectively proven his worth in the side and is an exciting batsman to watch.