Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), on Wednesday, announced the squads for the nearly month-long tour of South Africa. Fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi has been dropped from the Test side for the two-match series. The left-arm pacer was dropped after the first Test loss to England in Multan, along with Babar Azam and Naseem Shah.
Former Pakistan skipper Babar Azam makes his comeback to the side along with Naseem Shah. The test team will be led by Shan Masood, while the white-ball teams will be led by wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan. The Men in Green have been in good form recently beating England at home in the 3-match Test series with a 2-1 margin.
This was followed by the ODI series win in Australia where they beat the home team in a series after 22 years. Australia bounced back to trounce Pakistan 3-0 in the T20I series despite resting some of their major names. Pakistan are currently in Zimbabwe with their final T20I game of the tour set to be played on Wednesday.
Aaqib Javed makes statement after Team selection for South Africa tour
Pakistan Cricket Board put out a statement made by the current selector and stand-jn white ball coach Aaqib Javed. According to Aaqib, the selection committee has chosen the team with the conditions in mind. The statement released by PCB read, “We have adopted horses for courses policy to ensure all three squads are well-balanced and capable of performing strongly in South Africa.”
“Leaving out Sajid Khan, despite his stellar performances against England, was an extremely tough and difficult decision. However, considering the pace-friendly conditions at Centurion and in Cape Town, we opted for Mohammad Abbas instead, who is an outstanding exponent of seam bowling,” Aaqib Javed was quoted as saying via the release.
Regarding Shaheen Shah Afridi’s exclusion, the statement made by Aaqib Javed read, “Shaheen Shah Afridi’s exclusion from the Test squad is a strategic decision to ensure he remains physically and mentally fresh for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Similarly, Fakhar Zaman was not considered as he is yet to regain form and match fitness.”
“Our aim is to maintain consistency in ODI selections as part of our ICC Champions Trophy 2025 preparations, while also giving emerging talent opportunities in T20Is alongside experienced players. For Tests, we have focused on assembling a squad that can adapt to challenging conditions and consistently compete at the highest level,” the statement made by Javed read further.
The statement ended with, “The Test series against South Africa will be highly competitive, but we are confident in our team’s ability to secure a historic series win. Our focus in ODIs is to continue building momentum ahead of the Champions Trophy, while the T20I series provides a platform to blend experience with emerging talent.”
Pakistan Test Squad for South Africa tour
Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), 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
Pakistan ODI Squad for South Africa tour
Mohammad Rizwan (captain & WK), Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufyan Moqim, Tayyab Tahir and Usman Khan (WK)
Pakistan T20I squad for South Africa tour
Mohammad Rizwan (captain & WK), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Omair Bin Yousuf, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufyan Moqim, Tayyab Tahir and Usman Khan (WK)
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