Pakistan meet Proteas at their potent best

Win, lose or draw, be assured the unpredictable visitors do nothing without a whizz and a bang

POTENTIAL was a four-letter word for South Africa teams for too long. To have it meant to be saddled with something to fall short of, to be damned by middling achievements, to disappoint.

That has changed in the past three weeks. Graeme Smith's team went so far beyond what was required to win their test series against New Zealand that only the hardest-hearted of South Africans will not feel sorry for the Black Caps. They weren't merely beaten, they were thrashed to within an inch of the outer edges of their confidence as men.

Having won in England and Australia last year, SA had little to prove against a team deservedly ranked seven places below them.

But beating New Zealand was not the point for SA. The point was to play the highest quality of cricket they were able to play - for the supporters who had not seen them in the flesh for a year, for the culture of test cricket in this country and for themselves.

This they did, and more.

"It's nice to know that we're in that space, that the guys have pride in our performance to keep pushing and do well," Smith said after his side wrapped up another boring innings victory with more than five sessions to spare at St George's Park this week.

"The way we get on and the way we play for each other is a crucial aspect of our success."

The performance against the Kiwis, utterly flightless though they were, was that magical thing: a South African team playing to their potential.

Bloody well done. Now for their next trick. Tomorrow, a squad of less likely suspects who will not go as quietly as the New Zealanders arrive in SA. Win, lose or draw, Pakistan do nothing without a whizz and a bang.

"Everyone talks about the unpredictable nature of their cricket, but they seem to be playing a lot more consistently," Smith said.

In 18 tests stretching back to their drawn series against SA in the United Arab Emirates in November 2012, Pakistan have lost just twice.

They have had the benefit of weaker opposition in seven of those matches - New Zealand, Bangladesh, Zimbabwe, West Indies - but the list also includes two draws against SA and three convincing victories over England.

Pakistan last toured SA in 2006-07, when they lost in Centurion and Cape Town and won in Port Elizabeth. Of the XI who played the third test of that series, just Mohammad Hafeez and Younis Khan are in the squad this time.

The interest in Mohammad Irfan will extend beyond the fact that he stands a touch under 2.16m (if you listen carefully you can hear the sound of sightscreens being made taller around the country) to his impressive performance in Pakistan's one-day series against India.

What Saeed Ajmal will conjure with the extra bounce he will find in SA is another intriguing question.

Pakistan's batsmen will also be thinking about that bounce, not least because the Proteas' bulletproof attack will be restored when Vernon Philander returns from the hamstring strain that kept him out of the second test against New Zealand.

"The unfortunate thing for us batsmen is that we have to face them in the nets all the time," Smith said about his bowlers. "It's relentless. It's not just getting through one bowler and then things will ease up. Having guys that keep coming all day, creating pressure and bowling with intensity and pace, is crucial."

But not as crucial as continuing to live up to potential.