Pakistan have named all three squads for the multi-format tour of South Africa, set to kick off on December 10 with a three-match T20 series, followed by as many ODIs and a couple of Test matches. Pakistan saw a return for Babar Azam and pacer Naseem Shah into the Test team for the two crucial World Test Championship (WTC) matches against the Proteas. However, Shaheen Afridi continues to be on the sidelines as far as the Test team is concerned as part of the workload management.
"Shaheen Shah Afridi, who also missed the last two Tests against England, has been picked for the white-ball matches as part of his workload management so that he is in his best fitness and form for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025," the PCB release stated. Shaheen was one of the three Pakistan stars including Babar and Naseem, who were rested for the last two Test matches against England.
Sajid Khan was another notable omission from the Test team despite being the Player of the Series award winner during the England series taking 19 wickets in the final two games. "The selectors, after taking into consideration the Centurion and Newlands conditions as well as South Africa as the opposition, have opted for only one specialist spinner in Noman Ali," the release added.
Among the additions, the senior pacer Mohammad Abbas returned to the Test team after more than three years and also did Khurram Shahzad, who will form a five-pronged pace attack including Naseem, Aamer Jamal and Mir Hamza.
"Also returning to the Test side is fast bowler Mohammad Abbas, who last played in Jamaica in August 2021. Abbas, who has taken 90 wickets in 25 Tests, had a stellar Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, claiming 31 wickets in five matches," the release added.
The two-match series begins with the Boxing Day Test on December 26 in Centurion, followed by the decider in Cape Town. While Pakistan may be out of the race, crucial World Test Championship (WTC) points are at stake for South Africa, who leapfrogged Australia on the table after the Sri Lanka win last week.
Pakistan Test squad for South Africa series: Shan Masood (c), Saud Shakeel (vc), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Haseebullah (wk), Kamran Ghulam, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub and Salman Ali Agha
