After getting a historic whitewash in the three-match One-Day International (ODI) series, Pakistan are set to feature in a two-match Test series against South Africa, starting with the Boxing Day Test at SuperSport Park in Centurion today.
On their ongoing all-format tour to South Africa, Pakistan lost the three-match T20I series 2-0 while coming back to register a historic 3-0 whitewash in the ODI series. The Test series, a part of the ICC World Test Championship, is also expected to be highly competitive.
Members of the Pakistani Test team arrived in South Africa on December 13 for good preparation and acclimatization to the local conditions, a press release issued by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said.
The Test squad saw the return of experienced fast bowler Mohammad Abbas, who last played for Pakistan against West Indies in August 2021. He returns to the team with 31 knocks in five Quaid-e-Azam Trophy matches this season. .
Fast bowler Khurram Shahzad, who was ruled out of the three-match home Test series against England due to injury, has also returned to the team. Aqib Javed is the interim coach of the Pakistan men’s national team and this will be his first red-ball series after taking charge of the white-ball series against Zimbabwe.
Pakistan and South Africa have played each other in 12 Test series since 1995, of which South Africa has won seven, while Pakistan have been victorious in two, and three ended in draws. In the last Test series between the two countries, Pakistan beat South Africa 2-0 at home in January-February 2021.
In a statement, Pakistan Test captain Shan Masood said: “We are eagerly looking forward to measuring ourselves against South Africa, who have always been one of the best teams in the world.”
“We have gained some momentum from the recently concluded home Test series against England and the ODI series which included a number of members of our Test squad,” he added.
Referring to the return of Abbas and Shehzad, Masood said the return of the players was a welcome development for the Pakistani Test side looking to register victories in one of the toughest conditions for overseas teams.
“We know that South Africa have done well in this iteration of the ICC World Test Championship but we have prepared for this series in the best possible way as well having arrived in the country at least two weeks ago,” he concluded.
Pakistani Test squad
Shan Masood (Captain), Saud Shakeel (Vice-Captain), Aamer Jamal, Abdullah Shafiq, Babar Azam, Haseebullah (Week), Kamran Ghulam, Khurram Shehzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Rizwan (Week), Naseem Shah, Noman. Ali, Saim Ayoub, and Salman Ali Agha
Match schedule:
First Test — December 26 to December 30 at SuperSport Park, Centurion
Second Test — January 3 to January 7 at Newlands Cricket Ground, Cape Town