Pakistani bowlers gear up for SA Test

ABU DHABI: Pakistan's bowlers hammered out a timely warning ahead of the first Test against South Africa by forcing an emphatic win in their two-day match over United Arab Emirates on Thursday.

Lanky paceman Mohammad Irfan (4-28) combined with spinners Saeed Ajmal (3-20) and Zulfiqar Babar (3-44) dismissed UAE for 190 to win by 127 runs, a boost ahead of the first Test starting on Monday.

Irfan, the tallest cricketer ever to play cricket at 2.16m (7ft 1in), removed the top order with some hostile pace at Sheikh Zayed Stadium.

Off-spinner Ajmal, expected to play a lead role against South Africa, then combined with left-armer Baber to hint what was expected of them in the two-Test series against the Proteas.

Baber, 34, has yet to play a Test but was man-of-the-series against the West Indies in a Twenty20 seies in the Caribbean in July.

He is likely to team up with Ajmal and another left-armer Abdur Rehman in the first Test.

Last year Pakistan routed then world number one Test team England 3-0 with Ajmal chipping in with 24 wickets and Rehman 19.

For UAE, Shaimon Anwar top-scored with a fighting 86 while skipper Khurram Khan made 24.

Pakistan had made 317-9 in their innings.

Brief scores:
Pakistan 317-9 declared (Younis Khan 103, Adnan Akmal 71, Abdur Rehman 52)
UAE 190 (Shaimon Anwar 86; Mohammad Irfan 4-28; Saeed Ajmal 3-20, Zulfiqar Babar 3-44)
(AFP)