Spin is definitely a topic of discussion: Aiden Markram

Shakib Al Hasan's absence from the upcoming Test against South Africa is seen as a loss for Bangladesh but a relief for the Proteas. Aiden Markram, the South African captain, openly acknowledged how dangerous Shakib could be on Mirpur's spin-friendly pitch during a press conference following practice on Sunday.

Markram expressed that the subcontinental pitch conditions would be challenging for his team, as they are not accustomed to such surfaces in South Africa. He stated, “Spin is definitely a topic of discussion, especially since we are coming from South Africa. We don’t encounter such conditions at home. It’s an exciting challenge for us, especially with a young team that hasn’t played Test cricket here before. Playing in new conditions is always thrilling, and we need to learn from this to apply it in future matches in the subcontinent.”

Despite the different conditions, South Africa aims to play quality cricket. “We want to play good cricket and perform well against spin. We aim to adapt to these conditions and string together several good sessions to achieve a positive result, but it won’t be easy. These conditions are quite different for us,” he added.

Keshav Maharaj, one of South Africa's spin bowling mainstays, has previous experience playing in Bangladesh. Markram noted, “Maharaj is a very experienced player. He is providing the necessary advice. We’ve had a four-day camp and have prepared as best as we can. We’ll see what the pitch is like tomorrow.”