Proteas pace-bowling all-rounder Wiaan Mulder is available for selection for the second Test against Pakistan at Newlands having recovered from a broken finger.

Mulder suffered the injury while batting in the first Test against Sri Lanka in late November.

While on the sidelines, the 26-year-old watched South Africa secure a series win against Sri Lanka in Gqeberha, win the T20I series against Pakistan, get whitewashed by Pakistan in the ODI series, and book their place in the World Test Championship final by beating Pakistan in the first Test in Centurion.

“I hate watching cricket,” Mulder said at a press conference on Tuesday ahead of the second Test, which starts on Friday. “Especially when you’re in a position where you feel like you’re playing relatively nicely and you could have filled some gaps.

“It’s a terrible place to be to watch the game, especially having such a weird injury like this. It’s not like a muscular thing.”

In the past five months, Mulder has scored his first Test half-century and century, and averages 64.50. He has also taken 10 wickets at an economy rate of less than three runs an over.

“I’ve had a couple of seasons in England where I’ve put in match-winning performances. I’ve got a hundred now at international level. I’ve got a couple of important spells where I’ve taken wickets and I feel like I’m a key feature in the slips for this team,” Mulder said. “There’s a lot of good things that I can look back on and rely on when it’s difficult out there to say that I’m actually worthy.

“I’m here to win a game for my country. I’m not just here to fill a spot,” he added. “The word that’s kind of been so hard for me over the years is potential and hearing that: ‘you potentially could fill so many gaps, your potential is you can play all formats for the country.’ Those are all nice things, but how I was going to get there has always been so frustrating for me.”

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