Wiaan Mulder raring to go in second Test against Pakistan

Allrounder Wiaan Mulder is back and raring to go as the Proteas target a series sweep over Pakistan, when the second and final Test gets under way at Newlands in Cape Town on Friday morning.

Mulder has been in top form for the Proteas this year, but has been out of action for the past month after he fractured his finger in the first Test against Sri Lanka towards the end of November, which ruled him out of the second Test and the white ball series against Pakistan.

He was offered up by the team for their New Years Day press conference, which indicates that he will be back in the starting 11, although he claims he doesn’t know yet, but is fired up to get back on the field as soon as possible.

Watching from the side

“I have watched so much cricket over the last four weeks, even the ODI stuff. I hate watching cricket, especially when you feel like you are in a position where you are playing relatively nicely and you could have filled some gaps that maybe they needed in those series,” said Mulder.

“So it is a terrible place to be watching the game, especially having such a weird injury. So it has been frustrating for me personally to be watching from the sideline.”

He had recovered in time to be available for the first Test against Pakistan, that started on Boxing Day, but coach Shukri Conrad said he was perhaps a bit underprepared and Mulder readily agreed with that assessment, and said the extra week of training had done him well.

“I am fit to play. I was fit to play in the previous Test match as well, but I had a conversation with Shuks (Conrad, before the game) and said I felt I would do the team an injustice if I played,” explained Mulder.

“Not because I think my skills aren’t good enough or anything like that. But because leading up to that (match) there was a lot of down time and gym work and I don’t think I was match ready yet.

“I did a lot of work last week. I caught a lot, hit a lot and bowled a lot of balls to try get as fit as I can for this week. So I think I am ready to go.”

First Test win

The Proteas clinched a place in the World Test Championship final when they won the first Test by just two wickets, after chasing 148 to win they collapsed from 96/4 to 99/8, before an unbeaten 51-run stand from Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen led them home.

“I was 12^th manning at the time. It was nailbiting stuff. That’s why we play the game to be honest with you. To win moments like that. The characters that stood up there, you kind of cherish that for the rest of your career,” said Mulder.

“When you come up to those crunch moments, having something like that to fall back on as a team is pretty much what I think we are about as South Africans. We would never give up, always fighting. Sometimes you get punched to the floor and have to fight your way back up.

“That’s something we are also trying to change in this team. Finding a way to throw the first punch and not having to come back every time.”