PAK vs SA: Lakshmipathy Balaji Exposes Quinton de Kock's Weakness Ahead Of Clash Against Pakistan

Former Indian pacer Lakshmipathy Balaji exposed the weakness of South African opener Quinton de Kock ahead of the Pakistan-South Africa match. Lakshmipathy Balaji suggested that Pakistan should come up with better strategies against informant Quinton de Kock.

Quinton de Kock has been in exceptional form in his last ODI tournament for South Africa. The left-handed batter currently leads the batting charts in the prestigious tournament, having scored 407 runs with an impressive average of 81.40, including three centuries.

Finger Spinner Are Crucial Against Quinton de Kock – Lakshmipathy Balaji

Speaking ahead of the Pakistan-South Africa match in the ICC World Cup 2023, Lakshmipathy Balaji stated that Quinton de Kock might face difficulties against finger spinners who can take the ball away from the batter.

“Finger spinners who can take the ball away from Quinton are absolutely crucial. Dhoni, leading CSK, always prefers to use off-spinners against him early on. He also looks for pacers who can vary the pace and take the ball away from the left-hander,” L Balaji told TOI.

The South African opener gained familiarity with Indian conditions through his IPL experience. De Kock started his World Cup campaign with a century against Sri Lanka in Delhi. He smashed 174 runs off 140 balls against Bangladesh in his most recent match.

Pakistan Set To Face South Africa On October 27

The South African national cricket team is close to a semifinal spot with four victories out of five matches in the marquee tournament. On the other hand, the Babar Azam-led team, Pakistan, needs to defeat South Africa to remain in contention for a semifinal spot.

Pakistan began the tournament with consecutive wins against the Netherlands and Sri Lanka. However, they suffered three losses, which damaged their prospects of advancing to the next stage. Their most recent loss to Afghanistan has affected the players’ confidence.

The Pakistan team and South Africa will face each other at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Friday, October 27. The Proteas currently hold the second position in the 10-team points table, while the Men in Green are in fifth place.

Also read: PAK vs SA: “Quinton de Kock Is Probably In The Best Phase Of His Career” – Sanjay Manjrekar