LAHORE: The Pakistan men’s selection committee has announced the squads for the upcoming South Africa tour, scheduled from 10th December 2024 to 7th January 2025 for three T20Is, three ODIs and two Tests.
Babar Azam has been named in all three squads along with Mohammad Rizwan, Saim Ayub and Salman Ali Agha, while Naseem Shah has been selected for the Tests and ODIs. 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.
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. Naseem Shah has also been named in the four-man pace attack after missing the last two Tests against England. The 21-year-old, who has played 19 Tests since making his debut in November 2019, has taken four wickets to date for Lahore Whites against Peshawar in the ongoing Quaid-e-Azam Trophy match in Abbottabad.
Fast bowler Khurram Shahzad has also been named in the Test side after claiming 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 presently playing for Peshawar against Lahore Whites in Abbottabad. However, off-spinner Sajid Khan has missed out on selection despite his 19 wickets against England.
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, who took 20 wickets against England and has 67 wickets in 17 Tests. Also earning the selectors nod for the first time in ODIs is Sufyan Moqim, the left-arm wrist spinner who has taken eight wickets in two T20Is, including five wickets for three runs in the second T20I.
The series will begin with the first T20I in Durban on 10th December, followed by the first ODI in Paarl on 17th December. The Test matches will be hosted at Centurion and in Cape Town on 26th December and 3rd January, respectively.
The T20I squad will depart for South Africa on Friday (December 6), after Thursday’s third T20I against Zimbabwe, while the ODI and Test players will depart for Johannesburg on 13th December. Pakistan men’s red-ball head coach Jason Gillespie will also arrive in Johannesburg on 13th December to supervise the pre-Test series camp.
Aqib Javed, member selection committee and interim white-ball head coach said, “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.”
Aqib said, “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.”
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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