Pakistan have included star batter Babar Azam and fast bowler Mohammad Abbas to their playing XI for the first Test against South Africa, starting on December 26 in Centurion.

Babar Azam was dropped from Pakistan’s red-ball squad for the last two home Tests against England following a lacklustre performance.

Meanwhile, Mohammad Abbas last played for Pakistan against West Indies in August 2021. He has forced his way back in the squad with 31 scalps in five Quaid-e-Azam Trophy matches this season.

Another addition is fast bowler Khurram Shahzad, who was ruled out of the three-match home Test series against England due to injury has returned to the squad too.

The Greenshirts have dropped out-of-form opener Abdullah Shafique, who scored three consecutive ducks, in th recently-concluded ODI series.

Pakistan playing XI for first Test:

Shan Masood, Saim Ayub, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Salman Ali Agha, Mohammad Rizwan, Saud Shakeel, Aamer Jamal, Naseem Shah, Khurram Shehzad, and Mohammad Abbas.

In their ongoing all-format tour to South Africa, Pakistan lost the three-match T20I series 2-0 while came back to inflict a historic 3-0 whitewash in the ODI series.

The two-match Test series, part of the ICC World Test Championship, is expected to be highly competitive as well.