On Wednesday, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced the squads for the upcoming South Africa tour from December 10 to January 7. This series, consisting of three T20Is, three ODIs, and two Test matches, is crucial for building momentum ahead of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy.
Captain Babar Azam will lead Pakistan in all three formats. He will be joined by Mohammad Rizwan, Saim Ayub, and Salman Ali Agha. Fast bowler Naseem Shah returns for the ODIs and Tests, while Shaheen Shah Afridi will play in the white-ball formats after missing recent Tests against England.
The selection also marks Mohammad Abbas’s return to Test cricket. Abbas, outstanding in the domestic Quaid-e-Azam Trophy with 31 wickets, has not played for Pakistan since August 2021. His return is timely, considering the pace-friendly South African pitches.
Khurram Shahzad and Mir Hamza, who have performed well in domestic cricket, have also been included in the Test squad. Conversely, despite excellent performances against England, off-spinner Sajid Khan was not selected due to the expected conditions in South Africa, where pace bowling is typically more effective.
In the ODIs, newcomer Sufyan Moqim has been called up following a remarkable T20I debut against Zimbabwe, where he claimed a five-wicket haul for just three runs.
Aqib Javed, interim white-ball head coach, explained the strategic selections. He noted that decisions like excluding Shaheen Shah Afridi from the Test squad aim to keep him refreshed for the Champions Trophy. The series begins with a T20I in Durban on December 10, followed by further matches across major South African cities.
Pakistan’s teams are as follows:
Tests: Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), and players including Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan.
ODIs: Mohammad Rizwan (captain), with players like Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi.
T20Is: Mohammad Rizwan (captain), joined by Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi.
Aqib Javed emphasised maintaining ODI consistency while integrating emerging talents in T20Is and assembling a Test squad capable of adapting to challenging conditions.
