South Africa’s middle-order batsman Faf du Plessis has recalled the time he faced former Pakistan off-spinner Saeed Ajmal in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The 36-year-old during a presses in Karachi revealed that Ajmal is the toughest bowlers he has faced during his career.

“Saeed Ajmal was a challenge for me in UAE as a young, new batsman in sub-continent conditions,” said du Plessis, who is on the tour of Pakistan for two Tests and three Twenty20 Internationals (T20I).

“I remember every time I would go out to bat Saeed was warming up to bowl. Sometimes I would wake up in the middle of the night and Ajmal would be bowling at me,” he added.

Meanwhile, commenting on Pakistan captain Babar Azam, the former South Africa skipper said that Babar’s return is massive for Pakistan.

“Having Babar Azam back is massive for Pakistan. I would say he is up there with the top 3 batsmen in the world and his last 2 seasons in all formats have been nothing short of remarkable,” he said.

“I’m feeling good. I’m really excited for this tour. I want to put in good performances in sub-continent. It’s very important for me to score well overseas,” he added.