Cricket is Life: Heat on Proteas in desert

The temperatures all week are expected to be over 35C, with high humidity. The first two tour matches are Twenty20 games, with the second on Wednesday. These are followed by two one-day internationals before the tour moves to Dubai.

The United Arab Emirates is a home venue for Pakistan after tours to that country were stopped because of the poor security situation.

The pitches are expected to be low and slow, very different from the hard, high-scoring wickets on which the Proteas thrashed Zimbabwe 5-0 in the past fortnight. Pakistan have included three spinners, who could prove key on such surfaces.

But South Africa will be confident after their batting, bowling and fielding improved with each game against Zimbabwe, and, despite missing some experienced players through injury, they had little trouble in easily beating an improved opponent.

The absence of Jacques Kallis, Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel resulted in opportunities for the Warriors' Colin Ingram and Rusty Theron to be blooded.

Ingram made a hundred on ODI debut, and Theron took a five-wicket haul the first time he was tossed a ball by Graeme Smith.

Dave Miller has now played seven ODIs since his debut in the West Indies five months ago and has a batting average of 69.

Most pleasing for the Proteas, however, was the return to form of JP Duminy, who scored 96 not out in the T20 in Kimberley and then smashed 129 in the final ODI in Benoni on Friday. Before the Zimbabwe series, Duminy had scored only one half-century in international cricket this year.

Convener of selectors Andrew Hudson and coach Corrie van Zyl could not be more pleased.

Pakistan are mired in controversy. This will be their first series since a long and ill-fated summer in England that was marred by match-fixing allegations.

Their team is without captain Salman Butt and their two best strike bowlers, Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif. All have been suspended for alleged spot-fixing.

Now they are also without their best batsman, Mohammad Yousuf, who has a hamstring strain, and will miss at least the limited-overs part of the tour. Shahid Afridi will lead the T20 and ODI side before Misbah-ul-Haq takes over the Test side.

Former captain Younis Khan has made up with Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ijaz Butt and has had his ban lifted.

It was imposed in March for "disciplinary reasons" after he played under Yousuf in a disastrous tour of Australia. Younis retired from T20 cricket after leading his side to victory at the World T20 championships at Lord's last year but word is that he is likely to play tomorrow.

South Africa have only two ODI series to prepare for the World Cup in February - Pakistan now and India at home in January.