WATCH: Wiaan Mulder shares light moment with Babar Azam ahead of Lahore Test

LAHORE: South African all-rounder Wiaan Mulder met former Pakistan captain Babar Azam during a training session ahead of the opening Test of the two-match series, scheduled to begin on October 12 at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore.

A video circulating on social media shows both players engaging in a friendly chat and shaking hands, sharing smiles in a warm exchange.

The 27-year-old has been one of the standout performers in red-ball cricket, amassing 1,153 runs in 21 matches at an impressive average of 38.43, including one fifty and three centuries. 

Earlier this year, he scored an unbeaten 367 against Zimbabwe, featuring 49 fours and four sixes — a knock that places him as the fifth-highest individual scorer in the format’s history.

Mulder has faced Pakistan in two Tests, scoring 58 runs and taking two wickets.

Meanwhile, Babar Azam has represented Pakistan in 59 Test matches, accumulating 4,235 runs at an average of 42.77, which includes nine centuries and 29 half-centuries. 

Against South Africa, he has scored 536 runs in seven matches at an average of 38.28, with eight fifties to his name.

The 30-year-old batter is also on the verge of a significant milestone, needing just two more runs to complete 3,000 runs in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC). 

Achieving this would make him the first Pakistani and the eighth player overall to reach the landmark.

The upcoming series marks a special occasion as international cricket returns to Faisalabad after 17 years, coinciding with the start of Pakistan’s new WTC campaign.

The first Test will take place at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore (October 12–16), followed by the second Test at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium (October 20–24).

This will also be South Africa’s first Test series in Pakistan since January 2021, when the hosts triumphed 2-0.

After the Tests, both teams will contest a three-match T20I series (October 28–November 1) and a three-match ODI series (November 4–8).

Historically, Pakistan and South Africa have clashed 30 times in Test cricket — Pakistan have won six matches, South Africa 17, while seven have ended in draws.