- Selectors remove Shaheen Afridi from the Test squad.
- Babar Azam has been included in the squads for all three formats.
- Focus on building momentum for Champions Trophy: Javed.
LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Wednesday announced the green shirt squads for all three formats for the upcoming tour of South Africa starting on December 10.
The national team is scheduled to play three T20Is, followed by the same number of ODIs during their tour which will culminate on January 7 with two Test matches.
Shan Masood will lead the red-ball side while Mohammad Rizwan will lead the team in ODIs and T20Is.
The Men in Green will head to South Africa after a 2-1 ODI series win over Zimbabwe followed by securing an unassailable 2-0 lead against them in the T20I series on Tuesday.
Before that, the national team registered a historic 2-1 ODI series win over Australia in their own backyard for their first 50-over series win at the Kangaroos’ home ground in 22 years.
However, the hosts then whitewashed Pakistan in the subsequent T20I series.
The upcoming South Africa tour will provide the team with valuable match practice allowing them to fine-tune groups and finalize preparations ahead of the 2025 Champions Trophy scheduled to be held in Pakistan next year.
Babar Azam was selected in all three squads alongside Rizwan, Saim Ayub and Salman Ali Agha, while Naseem Shah was selected for Tests and ODIs.
Shaheen Shah Afridi, who also missed the last two Tests against England, has been selected for the white-ball matches as part of managing his workload so that he is in his best fitness and shape for the Champions Trophy.
Also returning to the Test side is fast bowler Mohammad Abbas, who last played for Jamaica in August 2021. Abbas, who has taken 90 wickets in 25 Tests, claimed the impressive Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, taking 31 wickets in five matches.
Also getting the nod for the selectors for the first time in ODIs is Sufyan Muqim, the left-arm pacer who has taken eight wickets in two T20Is, including five wickets for three runs in the second T20I.
Fast bowler Khurram Shahzad was also named in the Test side after taking 15 wickets for Pakistan Shaheens against Sri Lanka A last month.
Mir Hamza is the fourth fast bowler in the 15-man Test squad and is currently playing for Peshawar against Lahore Whites in Abbottabad.
Furthermore, the selectors decided to opt for specialist spinner Noman Ali – who took 20 wickets against England – in light of the conditions at Centurion and Newlands and left out Sajid Khan despite his tally of 19 wickets against England.
The T20I squad will leave for South Africa on December 6 after Thursday’s third T20I against Zimbabwe, while the ODI and Test players will leave for Johannesburg on December 13.
Red-ball coach Jason Gillespie will also arrive in Johannesburg on December 13 to oversee the pre-Test series camp.
Speaking about the teams, interim white-ball coach Aqib Javed said: “We have adopted a horses versus pitches policy to ensure that the three teams are well balanced and capable of performing strongly in South Africa.”
“Our focus in the ODIs is to continue building momentum ahead of the Champions Trophy, while the T20I series provides a platform to blend experience with emerging talent,” he noted.
Speaking about Shaheen’s exclusion from the Test side, the former cricketer described the decision as a “strategic” move to ensure that the player remains physically and mentally fresh for the Champions Trophy.
difference
T20I: Muhammad Rizwan (captain and week), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Jehandad Khan, Muhammad Abbas Afridi, Muhammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Umair Bin Yousuf, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufyan Muqim, Tayyab. Tahir and Usman Khan (week)
Audi: Muhammad Rizwan (captain and week), Abdullah Shafiq, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Kamran Ghulam, Muhammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayyub, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufyan Muqim, Tayyab Tahir and Usman Khan (week)
exam: 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
Tour equipment
10 December – 1st T20I, Durban
December 13 – 2nd T20I, Centurion
December 14 – 3rd T20I, Johannesburg
17 December – 1st ODI, Paarl
December 19 – 2nd ODI, Cape Town
22 December – 3rd ODI in Johannesburg
December 26-30 – First test, Centurion
January 3-7 – Second Test, Cape Town