KEY POINTS
- Mulder boasts 1,153 runs in 21 Tests, including a record unbeaten 367.
- Babar is nearing 3,000 runs in the ICC World Test Championship.
- The two-match series marks the beginning of Pakistan’s new WTC campaign.
ISLAMABAD: Former Pakistan captain Babar Azam and South African all-rounder Wiaan Mulder shared a friendly moment during a training session ahead of the opening Test of the two-match series, set to begin on 12 October at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium.
A video circulating on social media captured the friendly exchange between the two players as they shook hands and smiled, highlighting the spirit of sportsmanship ahead of the high-profile contest.
Babar Azam with Wiaan Mulder ♥️🎀#BabarAzam pic.twitter.com/IF87ADSprl
— 𝑨𝙗𝒅𝙪𝒍𝙡𝒂𝙝 𝙎𝒖𝙡𝒕𝙖𝒏⁵⁶ (@Abdullahs_56) October 10, 2025
Mulder, 27, has been a standout performer in red-ball cricket with 1,153 runs in 21 matches at an average of 38.43, including three centuries and one fifty.
Earlier this year, he made headlines with an unbeaten 367 against Zimbabwe, a knock that ranks as the fifth-highest individual score in Test history. In his previous two Tests against Pakistan, Mulder has scored 58 runs and taken two wickets.
On the other side, Babar Azam brings experience and class, having played 59 Tests for Pakistan and scoring 4,235 runs at an average of 42.77. His tally includes nine centuries and 29 half-centuries.
Against South Africa, Babar has amassed 536 runs in seven matches, maintaining an average of 38.28 with eight fifties.
The 30-year-old is also on the brink of a major milestone, just two runs shy of 3,000 in the ICC World Test Championship, a feat that would make him the first Pakistani and only the eighth player globally to reach this landmark.
This series holds special significance, marking the return of international cricket to Faisalabad after 17 years and the start of Pakistan’s new campaign in the World Test Championship.
The first Test will be played from October 12 to 16 at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, followed by the second Test at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium from October 20 to 24. It will also be South Africa’s first Test tour to Pakistan since their 2-0 series defeat in January 2021.
After the Test matches, the two teams will compete in a three-match T20 International series from October 28 to November 1, followed by a three-match ODI series in Faisalabad from November 4 to 8.
Historically, Pakistan and South Africa have faced off 30 times in Tests, with South Africa leading the head-to-head record 17-6, while seven matches have ended in draws.
