With his team facing a series defeat after two days of the second Test at Newlands, Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur said the quality of pitches had deteriorated in the ten years since he coached the South African team and they were not good enough for Test cricket.
On the back of a century by captain Faf du Plessis, South Africa built a winning position, reaching 382 for six, a first innings lead of 205 runs. Du Plessis made a patient 103, while Quinton de Kock made a breezy 55 not out late in the day to reinforce South Africa’s dominance.
“I am disappointed. I haven’t been back to South Africa in a cricketing capacity since 2010. The standard of the wickets at Centurion and here hasn’t been good enough for Test cricket,” he said.
“I can understand it if it gets to day four or five because that’s what happens in Test cricket and so it should, but it shouldn’t make your first innings a lottery.”
“The difference is that South Africa bowled at 145 (kilometres an hour) plus and we were at 135 today. Those 10 kilometres on a wicket like this make a significant difference.”
