Captain of South Africa’s cricket team Matthew Breetzke on Monday praised Pakistan’s hospitality, saying his team was excited to play in Faisalabad.

“It will be fun to play here. We will not repeat the mistakes we made in the T20 series,” Breetzke said, adding that Babar Azam is a world-class player and the team will “try to get him out early and silence the crowd.”

Speaking at a joint press conference with Pakistan skipper Shaheen Afridi at Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad, he also lauded Pakistani fans for their passion, saying they make the game more enjoyable.

Speaking on the occasion, Pakistan’s captain Shaheen Shah Afridi said that he was delighted to see cricket return to Faisalabad after 17 years.

“Whatever responsibility I have been given, I will fulfil it wholeheartedly. My focus right now is to improve Pakistan’s one-day cricket,” he said.

Shaheen said captaining the ODI side would be a valuable experience and added that Babar Azam’s return to form was crucial for Pakistan, noting that he has been a consistent run-scorer and top performer for the past five years.

As part of their preparations, the national team held a two-hour training session at Iqbal Stadium, where players warmed up and worked on batting and bowling drills under the supervision of coaches.

The first ODI between Pakistan and South Africa will be played tomorrow (Tuesday) in Faisalabad.