����ֱ��

LAHORE: South African stand-in captain Aiden Markram said home side Pakistan were well within their rights to prepare extreme turning wickets for their two-test series, which starts in Lahore on Sunday, as they did last year to beat England.

Their 2-1 series win over England a year ago came after they had used a pair of giant windbreaks, two outsized fans and six patio heaters to accelerate the deterioration of the pitch and create a surface that offered spinners maximum turn and grip.

It was a successful ploy as they came back from losing the first test to trump England in conditions that losing captain Ben Stokes called “pretty extreme”.

But Markram, who leads South Africa in place of injured skipper Temba Bavuma, said that was all part of the challenge.

“We saw how things turned out in the English series,” he told a press conference on Saturday. “That was obviously Pakistan's way of trying to win, and it's completely fair, and we look forward to that challenge.”

South Africa had worked hard in preparing, he added, creating wickets with extreme spin to practice on at a training camp before their departure.

“That's where most of the focus has been, naturally looking forward to the challenges that Pakistan pose in terms of spin-friendly tracks.

“As a team that's not exposed to those conditions, it's exciting for us and a great opportunity to get things right in these conditions. We're trying to put a lot of the focus there, and ultimately put five days of good cricket together for the first Test.”

Besides Bavuma, South Africa must do without their lead spinner Keshav Maharaj, who misses the first Test as he recovers from a groin strain.

“We’ll miss Kesh heaps,” Markram told reporters. “He's incredible, even when the ball doesn't spin, so it's a big loss for us but it's an opportunity for two or three other new spinners of ours to put their hand up and stake a claim, which is really exciting.”

Senuran Muthusamy and Simon Harmer, who last played a test two years ago, are likely to be in the team.

ISLAMABAD: Protests led by a hard-line religious party paralyzed daily life in Islamabad and Rawalpindi for a second day on Saturday, with the group claiming 11 of its supporters were killed in clashes with police.

The Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) this week urged supporters to stage a protest outside the United States (US) embassy in Islamabad to express solidarity with Palestine, prompting authorities to raid its headquarters in Lahore to prevent the march.

Clashes have since been reported in Lahore, Islamabad, Rawalpindi and other cities, where police have placed shipping containers and fired tear gas to keep the protesters from marching to Islamabad. Protesters hurled stones at officers in response.

There has been no confirmation of casualties from the government, police or rescue officials. TLP said another 50 of its supporters had been injured in clashes since Thursday.

“No group will be allowed to march on Islamabad or any other city under any circumstances,” Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said as he reviewed security arrangements in Islamabad’s Faizabad area on Friday night.

“No one can be permitted to take the law into their own hands.”

The party is known for street mobilization and agitational politics, often invoking blasphemy-related issues or religious grievances. Since its rise in 2017, the group has repeatedly staged mass sit-ins and marches to Islamabad, many of which have paralyzed the capital and key highways for days.

Educational institutions remained closed and authorities suspended the Metro bus service in the twin cities, while residents said they faced difficulties due to the suspension of mobile Internet service.

The protest comes after Hamas and Israel agreed to a ceasefire plan brokered by US President Donald Trump.

On Friday, State Minister for Interior Tallal Chaudhry said the government was making efforts to prevent TLP’s march toward Islamabad through peaceful means, asserting that the state “would not be blackmailed by mobs.”

“The main party to the issue is the Palestinians, and they are celebrating the recent peace deal,” he said, questioning the rationale behind the march.